


My 21st Father's Day

by Laurabella2930



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Established Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, F/M, Future Fic, Married Oliver Queen//Felicity Smoak, Multi, Tumblr Prompt, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4671305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laurabella2930/pseuds/Laurabella2930
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alright this was originally written as a Tumblr prompt by the amazing @geniewithwifi for the father's day challenge. So I posted it on Fanfiction.net and a reviewer asked me to keep the story going so I did. </p><p>Oliver Queen reflects on this 21st fathers day about the moments that led him to this moment. After that that we tell various stories about the Queen family 28 chapters in all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My 21st Father's Day

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is the prompt chapter that then started my lovely 2 month journey down the rabbit hole of the Olicity future. 
> 
> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I don't own anything in relation to Arrow or it's' characters.

Chapter 1: My 21st Father's Day

Felicity Queen made everyday a good day. Our second official date was in San Diego during a Street Fair. That’s when I learned more about her time in Vegas. That’s when she finally told me more about her past; that’s when I finally started to tell her more about mine. Our first real conversation about the future happened during a rain storm in Maine. We had made plans for the day; to explore the shoreline maybe take a boat out for the day. However the weather delayed our plans so we went to plan B explore each other. Our legs were wrapped around each other with her cold toes stroking along my lower calf. Her bare chest pressed against mine; her hands drawing small circles into my lower back. I was slowly trailing my hand up and down her arm with my face nuzzled in her hair breathing in deeply; just taking in this stolen moment. My trance was broken when she broke the silence with her strong but still timid voice.

“Oliver have you ever thought about our future?” Her eyes looked into mine showing sincerity and a little bit of hesitancy. Her hands were still moving slowly against my back creating a soothing balm for my soul.

Weighing my answer carefully I answered with an exhaled breath. “Yes, but only when I started to believe we would have one.” Her eyebrows went up and her lips puckered into a perfect oh forcing me to elaborate. “I only dared to imagine what my future would be like with you when we left Starling City. Only then with the sun in the distance did I think that my future with you was more than just a pleasant dream. Why do you ask.” By this time I had removed my face from the crown of her head; our noses softly touching and, our eyes locked to one another’s gaze.

I rubbed my nose softly against hers; my eyes looking straight into her own, with my arms banded around her waist urging her to continue the line of questioning. Her nose rubbed back against mine before she took a deep breath and quickly exhaled before speaking. “I ask because one day further into the future I want to remember this moment and you’re face in it.” She paused seeing the confusion in my eyes; so she tilted her head slightly up and kissed the top of my nose before continuing. “I want a future with you. I want the whole package, marriage, children who are a perfect mixture of you and me, good days, bad days, and everything in between.” She paused once more this time removing her hands from my back and placing them aside my face; then she brought my forehead down closer to her lips. She placed the softest kiss upon my skin; then leaning her forehead against mine she started again. “ I want a life with you.” Not moving my forehead away from hers; I just looked into her eyes replying softly “That’s what I want too.”

Felicity Queen made my life complete. The day we got married I thought was the height of happiness. Seeing her walking towards me made my heart still in my chest. I’d never seen her look more beautiful, more perfect than she did in that moment. I couldn’t tell you now twenty years later what the dress looked like, or what kind of flowers where clutched in her delicate hands. All I could see was her face and the light, love, and happiness that shone from her eyes. Those eyes that never once left mine throughout the entire ceremony; those eyes that held mine with no hesitancy or fear in sight. That moment came in second compared to this one.

Once again we were wrapped around each other. This time it was on our couch in our moderate sized home. The house was a perfect fit; it was far enough from the city for me but, close enough that she could still get a strong wifi signal. The house was a two story brick home on about 2 acres of land. The home came with a basement that was large enough to make into our new “Arrow Cave” which to this day I still won’t admit to calling it. There was no Green Arrow business today, the rain had started to fall around 10am that morning and continued on throughout the day. Felicity had the brilliant idea to have a Netflix marathon of Doctor Who. Apparently my lack of knowledge about this particular show still vexed her to her very core. I was barely paying attention to the screen in front of me when I felt her move. Over the years I had learned every movement she had. I had memorized every expression, every glance, every movement that her body or face could make. She was my favorite past time and being married hadn’t changed that fact; it had actually made it worse.

This movement was her I have something to tell you but I’m afraid to so movement. She would first position her body to directly line up with mine. Since I was sitting with my legs stretched out in front of me she moved to match. Her body moved from being curled up against mine to being stretched out her legs pushed against mine so that she could weave them together. She moved her chest to press against my side with her arms going around my waist which; allowed her head to rest against my outstretched arm. I looked down into her happily glowing eyes and smiled. I would never tire of seeing that expression especially since it was directed at me. I smiled and paused the current episode with; a dumb stupid smile

I asked with a slight chuckle… “I assume based on this new position you required my attention.” Her eyes lit up still surprised to this day that I knew her every movement as if it were my own. She smiled that brilliant I’m about to change your entire life smile and replied…

“Why yes I did. I have something to tell you.” Now that she had my full undivided attention I shifted my body slightly so that my free arm and hand could move towards her to softly caress her face. Still looking at her with some confusion and absolute curiosity I pushed for her to continue. Sensing my question she continued on.

“Since you know my every movement which still kind of surprises me to this day you might have noticed that I’ve been acting a bit strangely lately.” She was right she had been. She was lighter almost like she was free from some unknown weight. She had been radiant almost glowing for the past three days. I just nodded for her to continue my mouth slightly upturned in a smile.

“Well I was waiting till today to give you the news. I wanted it to have meaning; I wanted to make sure you remembered this moment for the rest of your life.” She paused and then with the biggest smile I had seen to date she exhaled “I’m pregnant. Happy Father’s Day Oliver Queen.”

Felicity Queen gave my life purpose. The delivery was horrible for me. I had never been so nervous in all my life. I had spent five years in hell fighting for my life. I had been stabbed, shot, beaten, tortured, made into a human weapon and, made into a shell of a man. I had spent a year as the hood, two years as the Arrow, and now I’ve been the Green Arrow for two in half years. I have never till this day experienced the sheer amount of panic as I did in that moment. Felicity was completely calm. She never once faltered. She brought our son into the world with a grace and ease that I had never seen displayed before by another human being. She was in essence perfect.

Our son Thomas Robert Queen came into the world with a father who was a half time co-CEO and a full time vigilante. His mother my light, savior, and reason for begin was the other half of my team. She was the other CEO who also made sure I came home to her and our son night after night. Our son in that moment became the reason my heart beat. He was a perfect replica of his mother and I. His face was shaped like mine strong, and defined. His coloring was all Felicity right down to the blond wisps of hair. His eyes however were what made him perfect. His eyes were all Felicity. I’ve been standing outside in the backyard just staring at my beautiful family. Thea is sitting next to Felicity laughing. John and Lyla have Sara playing with Tommy as he attempts once again to grasp his mother’s hands and stand. He’s 16 months old and already attempting to walk, run and race throughout the yard. According to his mother that’s a trait he inherited from me. All I can see however is her. I can see her in his eyes that are Felicity’s down to the gold around his pupil. I can hear her in his laugh when he giggles during our nightly round of peak a boo. I can see her essence in him when he attempts to do something for the first time. I can see her intellect in him every time he figures something out for the first time.

She looks over at me from her place on the grass of our backyard. She smiles that soft smile that she has only for me. Her eyes beg me to come over and join in on all the fun. I move from my leaning position against the door and slowly walk towards them. I come up behind her and position myself so that she can lean her body into mine. Placing her head against my chest I duck my head down to place a light kiss against the side of her face. Our son however seems to notice the change in his mother’s movements and stops playing with Sara’s hand. He moves his cubby little arms and legs to crawl towards Felicity’s legs. Then if by sheer will alone he manages to pull himself up into a slight standing position and moves or toddles about two feet before falling down by her knee. Not to be deterred he tries again this time Tommy crawls closer to our bodies and latches onto my bent leg that is currently encasing Felicity’s upper body. Once again he’s moved himself into a standing position but this time when he toddles it’s with one destination in mind. He takes a few tiny steps and lands right into his mother’s waiting arms.

Felicity laughs and claps, and smiles for what a brilliant and strong son she has. Tommy just looks at her with the same look that I do. The same peaceful calm look that I have whenever I see her face; in that moment I see a trait that my son and I will forever share. Felicity is our shared bond. Whatever love I feel for her doubled when she had our son.

John and Lyla had left hours ago, Thea had decided to stay over for the night. She claimed that her nephew would demand her presence in the morning. I just chuckled softly to myself and kissed her forehead as we said goodnight. I walked upstairs to my son’s room and leaned against the door frame. I did this every night like some sort of ritual. I always spent about five minutes just watching him sleep. This had become my new favorite past time in the past 16 months. Somehow I doubt Felicity minded much. I just watched and listened as he inhaled and exhaled. I felt calm; I felt at peace, I felt whole. Felicity who had become aware of my little nightly ritual came up behind me to band her arms around me waist; pressing her head against my back. I moved my hands down to clasp hers in response. I was idly rubbing my thumb across her knuckles when she softly spoke. “Happy Father’s Day.” I smiled and breathed out a simple “Thank you.”

Felicity Queen made everyday a good day, made my life complete, and gave me a purpose. My children however gave my life meaning. Today is my 21st father’s day. I have counted every single one since the moment Felicity told me she was pregnant. I’m sitting in my office looking out the bay window to our even larger backyard. Once Tommy was about two years old we moved from our brick starter home and into a much larger abode. The company was flourishing and so was our family. My Green Arrow days had slowed down as my commitment to my family grew. Tommy was two and half when Riley Moira Queen was born. This time my traits had truly won out. She was all me except for her face that belonged solely to her mother. Felicity laughed at how god really did have a cruel sense of humor. Three years later our third miracle happened. This time however the miracle came in the form of twins. One boy, one girl; both of whom would prove to be the cleverest of all our children. Jacob Tyler and Rebecca Anne Queen were really two of a kind. They did everything together. Jacob had my smarts and sense of timing while Rebecca was her mother through and through. Felicity about jumped for joy when her little girl built her first computer at the age of 6. As she stated Rebecca was a year younger than she was when she had built one at age 7.

Our children through the years have given me thousands of gifts. However the ones I’m looking at now are the ones they gave me each father’s day. Felicity started the tradition when she told me about Tommy. She hid the small trinket in my dresser drawer. It was small and endearing. It was a small silver T that looked to be a piece for a bracelet charm. I asked her what it was for when I saw her that morning still glowing from the previous night’s confession. She just looked at me and stated as if it were plain as day. “Why your father’s day gift silly. I know I thought of a card but I saw that little silver T and I couldn’t resist. I was thinking if it’s a boy his name should be Tommy and if it’s a girl it should be Thera. That way either way the name of our first born will begin with a T in honor of Tommy.” I was across the room in seconds kissing my way down her neck and up again as I picked her up pulled her against my chest.

This tradition continued on with each child. I had a small bracelet charm for each one. Each child had a first name with a meaning that corresponded to our journey together; Riley had her R, which was for rescued. Jacob has his J which was for justice. Rebecca had the most sentimental one her R was for red because that was the moment that changed everything. However as each child grew they took the tradition and put their own spin on it. Tommy had gone the way of the past. Each year he attempted to honor his namesake. One year it was a video montage of us as boys. Another year he had a photo album made of moments with Tommy and our moments together as father and son. Each year he reminded me that he knew about the connection his name held for me.

Riley understood how I was rescued. She however liked to ask questions about her middle name, her grandmother’s name. Each father’s day her gift was a new story that she had written about her namesake. I had piles and piles of stories about how Moira would have acted when she met them, about their first conversations, even about their first fights. She wanted to make a connection to the part of me that still missed my mother. I loved her all the more for it.

Jacob was tough and a real spit fire. His gifts always involved giving me a headache. Since his name was for the justice that I had dispensed over the years he liked to be active in his love. One year it was a paintball tournament. Felicity was less than pleased. Another year it was a baseball game that had the girls beating the boys. His gifts were always events and moments to remember. His gifts came in the form of memories to cherish. His form of justice was to show us that the real justice was this, our family being together to have paintball fights and baseball games.

Rebecca was the by far the most inventive of my children. Her gifts were always handmade. One year she built me what her mother had called the time capsule. She with some help from her mother had made a computer program that blended all our photos and videos together. This program grew with each passing year. Another time she designed a new family crest that blended all aspects of our family together. This design was presented to me in the form of oak chest. That chest is what holds all the gifts from days gone by. Rebecca has the sentimental name thus she had the sentimental streak. She used her gifts and talents to show me every year how the lucky the color red really was. Rebecca was my red pen all over again.

My Felicity saved my life; she changed it by simply being herself. Never once backing down from a fight, never taking the easy way out, and always being my light in the dark places that I traveled; my children however gave me a new life. They showed me that my life wasn’t complete until they were a part of it. Every moment I spend with them is just another moment I’m reminded of the journey to this point. I have lost many and saved even more. I have gained a partner in crime, a brother in arms, and my soulmate. My children became all of those people in one. Each one became my end all and be all.

So today on my 21st father’s day I wanted to give a gift to you. This is our story. We’ve had bumps and bruises along the way. My life truly began when I was shipwrecked on Lian Yu. Without all those years of sorrow and torment I never would have gotten all of you. I watched silently as each one read the letter that it taken me hours to compose. I was nervous they all knew that I loved them but I sometimes wondered if they knew how much I truly cared. I often wondered if they knew how much they had truly done to change my life. Tommy of course was the first to speak. He was 21 tall and handsome according to his mother. I however still saw the little boy who giggled when he took his first real step towards me. He came forward and pulled me forward into a massive hug.

“Thanks Dad. For everything.” He stepped aside still smiling brightly for Riley. Riley who was 19 and wanting to apply to the police academy; she wanted to rescue other’s in the same I had. Her eyes were wet from unshed tears in her glowing blue eyes. As she closed the distance between us she whispered ever so slightly.

“I love you daddy. I’m so glad that mom rescued you from yourself.” The last part was a private joke that we had since she was five and scared of a thunderstorm. I softly kissed her forehead before Jacob of course being the strong one came up smiling from ear to ear and shook my hand.

“Awesome letter dad; next time ease up the emotional stuff I mean come on we’re Queen men after all.” He was 15 and going to prove to everyone around that he was the toughest guy in the room myself included. My Rebecca was openly crying and smiling with joy. I was still standing against my desk when she took a running leap towards my open arms. That was our tradition. Since she was three and I came home from a particularly bad Green Arrow mission. She was there waiting for me with a running leap straight into my arms.

At 15 she still was always there waiting for me. “ I love you daddy, always have, always will.” I kissed her forehead as well as she released her hold on me and walked away to stand with her brother’s and sister.

Felicity was the last but by far the least. Our children had grown used to our affectionate ways with one another. We were always holding hands, giving light linger touches to cheeks, hands, shoulders, arms. I was also quite prone to the forehead kiss which my daughters were quite aware of since each day for most of their life’s that’s how I bid them goodnight. So it came as no shock when Felicity walked into my waiting arms, wrapped her arms around my neck and sealed her lips to mine. The kiss was soft, pure, and filled with love. She broke away to kiss my nose, and then my forehead before settling further into my embrace. I just kissed her hair before murmuring “So a good surprise then?” Her head still resting against my chest replied “The best one yet.” We broke apart only to have our children join in on the embrace. So there I stood enveloped by my wife and four children. I’d say my 21st father’s day was the best one yet.


	2. Tommy's First Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tells the story of Tommy's first words and everyone's reactions to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relation to Arrow or its characters.

 

 

Tommy’s first word

 

Felicity Queen gave me the world when she gave me our son. I thought I knew what love was when I was a child. I thought I knew what love was when I was with Laurel. I thought I knew what love was when I finally let myself be with my wife. I was wrong on all counts. I finally learned what love truly was when my son was born. My love expanded even further with the births of our other three children to the point when asked who does my heart belong to I would have five answers. Felicity will always have my heart, mind, body, and soul. She’s owned all of those things since her first babble and the red pen. I was the idiot who fought it but in the end she won out. My children however they own every facet of my being. Without them the world wouldn’t make a lick of sense. The first time I felt the invisible pull against my heart was when I saw Tommy for the first time. The boy had lungs and much to his mother’s delight had no problem using them. I had a very different perspective on that thought pattern. My mind however changed one Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s were family days. That had been the Felicity Queen house rule since the day I said I do. She even found a way to incorporate it into our vows. She was a clever little minx. The sun was pouring in through the window highlighting Felicity’s golden strands of hair. I always woke up about five or ten minutes before she did. I spent those minutes gazing upon her and memorizing every single facet of her face, the sounds she made when she was breathing in and out slowly, and the look in her eyes whenever she caught me. Normally she didn’t because Tommy had kept her up till all hours of the night. Our beautiful son was going through a rather interesting phase right now. He was attempting to learn his first words. He was also attempting to vocalize those words and usually attempted to do so around 2am. This had been going on for the past two weeks. Felicity had him on a very strict routine. He was bathed, fed, changed, and ready for bed by 8pm every night on the dot. Not even our Green Arrow obligations got in the way of her timetable. However in the last two weeks Tommy had decided to wake up around 2am to start babbling into the baby monitor. He would go and on and on just babbling for hours until one of us came into the room to tend to his needs.

Last night was Felicity’s turn for Tommy duty as she had come to call it. I insisted that I should take the shift but; Felicity had made a rather determined argument against my own. Last night was bad even for my standards. We’d been tracking yet another HIVE agent who had come to Starling to start yet another wave of terror. This one’s unique brand of terror dealt with cyber terrorism. Felicity had put Tommy down for the night about an hour ago and was in the “Green Arrow Cave” as she had officially dubbed it. The HIVE agent had no name except for the one that Felicity had given him. The cyberHIVE had been hacking into and destroying people’s personal accounts for the last three days. Felicity had hacked every FBI, CIA, and even NSA database over the last three days. She could track him for minutes at a time before he once again fell off the grid. Felicity even called in Lyla and the powers of ARGUS to find this guy. This was how annoyed she was getting with this particular manhunt. I had gone to the coordinates that she sent me in the past three minutes with Speedy and Dig in tow. I was positioned on the rooftop across from the main building while Thea and Dig waited on opposite ends of the site just in case this guy actually showed and decided to run. I was standing surveying the layout of the site when I heard my coms click on. I could hear Felicity and the distinctive sound of our 18 month old son babbling away in her ear. I attempted to stifle a laugh but that attempt failed when Thea interrupted my private listening party.

“Felicity your com is on and I hear my nephew in the background. Didn’t my dear over protective big brother mandate that my precious baby nephew was not to be in the Green Arrow Cave under any circumstances?” By this point I was barely holding it together I was beginning to laugh so hard. Seconds later Felicity chimed in “Don’t worry it’s the baby monitor he’s safely in his room babbling and not in the cave babbling to me. I was worried that he would wake up so I brought the monitor down here as I always do.”

This time I chimed in to defend my wife against her own sister in law. “Alright you two that’s enough we have a mission to focus on. Thea Felicity is his mother and she has as she has informed me the right to decide if or when our son can be in the cave or not.” With that the conversation ended and the mission resumed.

After three annoying and rather boring hours on the roof the cyberHIVE had gotten away much to my wife’s growing dismay. Felicity had called everyone home when she called our private line that she had installed into my suit via Cisco the day after we were married. “Oliver something is going on with Tommy.” I paused and measured my breathing before I answered “Felicity he’s fine he’s 18 months old and already attempting to speak. As I recall last month you were worried because he hadn’t yet started to speak. I think that our son’s nocturnal babbling has caused you more sleep deprivation than even you knew.”

Silence that was never good with a woman who could talk her way in, out, and the back into an argument; two minutes later she replied back with the soft you were right I was wrong tone. “I’m sorry love I’m just worried. He’s my, our son and he’s perfect. I just don’t want to do anything that could harm this perfect little miracle that we created.” Smiling I replied “Felicity with you as his mother how could he be anything but perfect. I’ll be home soon and then we can share a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream and watch some random movie on Netflix your pick.” Not even three seconds passed when she came back with “You my husband have a deal.”

I was a little later getting home than I thought. I was ambushed by three HIVE agents when I was zip lining down from my roof perch. I wasn’t badly injured but enough so that Felicity had insisted that she take the shift with our son instead of his beaten and bruised father. I kissed her nose, her forehead and then finally her lips before she left our room to tend to our son. So now that it’s morning and our son is finally sleeping soundly I can lay here and watch as she begins to fully wake up. Her eyes softly flutter as she adjusts to the bright light of the early morning sun. She moves her arms away from their position around my waist and stretches them up towards the ceiling. A slight yawn escapes her mouth as she sleepily mutters good morning. I adjust my position against the headboard to come down beside her body until I’m lined up completely against her and resting my forehead against hers. Her smile widens and her eyes stare longingly into mine.

“I love you. I know you know that but I feel like I don’t tell you often enough sometimes.” I closed the gap between us and lightly kissed her lips before replying “I love you and I know that I don’t tell you that enough.”

Sensing that our conversation is about to take a turn towards the slight snoring in the other room I pulled her against my chest fully so that her face is firmly placed against my neck and my face is buried in her shoulder. “He’s fine you know that don’t you. He’s learning to talk and just like his mother he’s learning via the babble. I really can’t imagine where he picked up that trait from.”

I was slightly laughing by this point as was she. “I know I just wish he would work out whatever it is he wants to say and just say it already.” We stayed this way for another twenty minutes just laughing, talking, caressing, and just enjoying connecting to one another once again.

It was around noon when I heard the knock at the front door. Felicity yelled from the kitchen “Oliver it’s Laurel she’s here to help me go house hunting. Remember you promised you would go with us this time so let her in and then once Thea’s here we’ll leave.”

I got up from the leather couch that always beckoned my name whenever I entered the room and went to get the door. There on the other side was indeed Laurel Lance former girlfriend current friend and partner of Green Arrow. She smiled as we exchanged a quick hug and hello as she entered the house. Laurel’s and Felicity’s relationship had always amazed me. Given how much the two women had in common I was surprised when she quickly became my wife’s best friend and constant companion. We walked back into the family room where Tommy was sitting in his rocking chair just swinging back and forth and yes babbling nonstop words that still made no sense at all. Laurel stopped and dropped down in front of my son to grab his two little hands in her own.

“Hello my little nephew, hello my beautiful Tommy; how are you today? Are you still keeping mommy and daddy awake at all hours of the night?” She kept talking to him sweetly and he just kept laughing and grabbing at her hands until she removed him from the swing and held him her arms. “I think he likes being held by you.” I remarked as she sat down my son in her lap. “Of course he does I’m his aunt Laurel, I’m family what’s not to like.” Laurel and I had come a long way in the past few years. I was against her becoming the Black Canary but once I accepted her for who she was becoming things got easier.

She must have noticed my far away expression because she asked “Hey Ollie what’s going on in that thick skull of yours?” I laughed and replied “Nothing I was just thinking about how far we’ve come in the past few years. I was also thinking how ironic it is that you and Felicity are best friends.”

Laurel smiled softly before responding. “Felicity changed you for the better even I had to see that. You lit up around her in a way that you never did with me. I should know because Tommy was my Felicity. He opened up my heart in the same way that she opened up yours.” She took another breath before continuing on. “Felicity and I are best friends because we decided that Ollie and Oliver we’re two different people. Ollie broke my heart and died on that island. Oliver came back and showed me that we were never meant to be. Oliver came back and gave me the truth which Ollie had never done. Oliver came back and became the man that I always hoped Ollie could be. Oliver came back and fell in love with Felicity. We loved two very different people and I’m glad that her person was the one that came back.” I smiled and simply said “Thank you Laurel.” She replied “Anytime Oliver.”

Felicity came into the room with blueprints and various home layouts for all of us to go over before we took the tour of a thousand homes. I was attempting to look interested when my son finally chose his moment. By this point Laurel had passed Tommy off to his mother who was going over the various layouts with ease. She and Felicity were going on and on about different layouts and how if we had more children we would need to have this many rooms with access to a larger backyard and so on. I was barely listening since I was too wrapped up in watching my son as he attempted to get his mother’s attention. He was using his chubby little hands to pull her hair out of the low ponytail she was sporting today. However Felicity just kept gently moving his hands away and resumed her conversation. My son apparently didn’t like being ignored much like his father and took matters into his own hands. Without any warning Tommy spoke.

“Momma” clear as a bell and distinctive as could be he said it again. “Momma up” Felicity paused, Laurel’s head snapped up with awe and joy, I sat there dumbstruck. Felicity was the first to regain her voice.

“Two weeks of non-stop babble and you come up with momma up.” She was laughing and smiling down at our son as if he was the whole world. “I’m so proud of my smart boy, yes I am.” She lifted him as he had commanded and he started laughing and kept saying momma, momma over and over again.

House hunting was put on pause that day in honor of our son’s first words. Laurel and Felicity had snuggled up together on the couch both holding one of Tommy’s hands in their own. They kept taking turns getting him to speak while attempting to get him to say different words such as dada, and down. Thea came in an hour later and joined the three of them on the couch. I called John and told him to come over with Lyla and Sara. Felicity had always said that Sunday was family day and it seemed right that most of our family should be together to celebrate my son’s first words. As I said I never knew what love was until my children were born. That night as I lay in bed holding my wife stoking my finger tips down her bare back I whispered into her ear…

“So today you and Laurel were planning our future.” She moved her head from my shoulder to move it closer to my face; rubbing her nose against mine as she often did and replied very softly “So what if we were? I told you that night in Maine I wanted children with you. That means more than one. I do love our son more than I ever thought possible but that doesn’t mean I would mind maybe adding one or two more to the equation.”

I paused before I moved my face to rub against her nose before also softly replying “Well than maybe we should think about doing something that would add to our family equation.” Her mouth was on mine in an instant and my hands re-positioned to move her body closer to mine. A few months later we we’re having another family Sunday celebration but this time to celebrate the soon to be new addition to our family.


	3. Riley and the Big Bad Thunderstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter told the story that was mentioned in chapter one for Tommy this one is about Riley and Oliver's bonding moment during a thunderstorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relation to Arrow or it's characters.

 

 

Riley and the big bad thunderstorm.

 

Felicity Queen rescued me but my children saved me. Felicity rescued me long before I even knew that she had. I was so lost in my own terror and torment that I didn’t realize how far gone I was until I had to trust the girl with the red pen to help save my life. I often told my children about the day their mother rescued me, I didn’t often tell them about the day I realized that she had. The day she “saved” me had gone down into legend for our family. Tommy loved the story about how grandma shot dad which; caused him to boldly enter mom’s car while bleeding to ask for help. Tommy found that story to be awesome but Riley found it to be sad. She often didn’t understand why we would give her a name that was related to someone who had once shot her beloved father. Felicity had a way with our oldest daughter that I often thought I lacked. She always understood her in a way that seemed to transcend reality. Felicity told Riley another story a much darker story. Felicity told our daughter that she was given a middle name that meant strength and love. Felicity told our daughter how her grandmother died to save her children; how that love was greater than anything even death. Riley never once doubted her middle name’s special meaning again.

I had always wished for a stronger bond with Riley. She was born on a Monday at 8:55am after 20 hours of labor that her mother actually endured without any drugs. Felicity was the real hero in our relationship she just never actually acknowledged it. I stood holding Tommy close to my chest breathing in his sweet scent knowing that soon the pull on my heart was going to expand to include another life, another heart for me to protect with everything I had. I was scared to death. Tommy wasn’t easy by any means but he was a boy who loved and adored his mother just as much as he did me. His love was equal it never wavered. I was worried that maybe a girl would be different, maybe it would be worse. I worried that my overprotective nature would kick into overdrive once I had a daughter to protect from the entire male gender. Felicity looked exhausted but blissful as she held our newest addition. Her name was picked during one of our many nighttime discussions. I often wondered even now if my wife had a plan even then.

We were lying in bed discussing the baby’s name. I wanted it to be Moira but Felicity didn’t. I just couldn’t understand why not. She was my mother and even though our relationship had been strained when she died she still died protecting me. I wanted a way to honor my late mother and I felt that naming our daughter for her was the proper choice. Thea had agreed and even had forced Laurel and Dig into the discussion. Dig stayed out of knowing that once Felicity made up her mind that was it. Laurel being my wife’s best friend sided with Felicity of course and stated that Felicity had a reason for not wanting this. Thus why I was laying here with my beautiful wife waiting for the explanation;

“Come on Felicity just tell me why her first name can’t be Moira. I mean you chose to name our first born Tommy one day after you told me you were pregnant. I just don’t understand the reason why you’re resisting this name.” I was leaning against the headboard with my arms crossed across my chest while staring down at my wife who was laying flat on her back with our sleeping son curled up between us. I could tell from her quiet demeanor she was choosing her next words very carefully. Tired of waiting I pinned her with my annoyed look forcing her to speak.

“Oliver you know that your mother and I weren’t really on any terms much less good terms. She basically told me I’d lose you if I told you the truth about Thea.” I attempted to speak to tell her that no matter what she was never going to lose me even then but; her small finger’s rising to my lips caused me to pause.

“That has nothing to do with my not wanting her first name to be Moira. I want her middle name to be Moira just not her first.” I was confused and bewildered by the woman next to me. Sensing my confusion by just looking into my eyes she once again continued on. “This one next to me was easy. Tommy meant the world to you. He was the one that told you to find another way, he was the one who saved Laurel, he was the one that made you want to change. He was the start of your change and I wanted a part of that man to live on in our son. His middle name is your father’s name. Your father who gave you that blasted mission that led you straight to me.”

I was being either too dense or just not catching onto to my wife’s logic fast enough so she went even further. Sighing and turning to lightly brush her fingers through our son’s soft blond hair she tried again to explain her logic.

“Our son’s first name stands for the first block or hurdle that we had to overcome. Tommy helped you see that you were a better man and being that better man let us be together. His middle name is for your father another reason that we are together. I want our first daughter to have a name like her brothers. I want her first name or the first initial of that name to stand for something that we both did in order to be together. I want her middle name to stand for the woman who saved your life so that you could one day spend it with me.” She stopped and looked at me to see if this time I had finally realized what she was saying. I rewarded her by sliding down further into our bed to wrap one arm around our still sleeping son and to entangle my free hand with hers.

“I understand now. You want her name to be like our son’s to have two meanings one for us and then one for me. If it were possible I love you even more for it.” She rewarded me by squeezing my hand tightly and moved her legs to entwine with mine. “So what do you my way to smart wife want to name our daughter?” She just smiled brightly and after bringing our hands to her mouth to kiss my index finger she replied.

“I want to name her Riley Moira Queen. R is for being rescued.” She paused to control the emotion that was seeping into her voice. I could see the fresh tears that were about to fall as she continued on.

“I don’t know how I rescued you because you won’t tell me but I know how you rescued me. You loved me just as I was and you saved me from thinking that I couldn’t be anything more than some IT girl. You rescued me by really seeing me. I want our daughter’s name to represent all those who rescued you before me, during me, and after me.” The tears had fallen at this point so I untangled our hands and used my thumb to brush them away. Dropping a soft kiss to our son’s head I leaned forward careful not to wake him and kissed away the remaining fallen tears. That night our daughter received her name.

I often think back to that night now over five years ago with joy and some remorse. Riley was five years old now and my carbon copy. She was stubborn, outspoken, strong willed, and stronger than her mother and I combined. What made it worse was that her reflection was that of her mother. She was my worst nightmare she was all my personality traits combined with her mother’s looks. Her teenage years were going to be my undoing. Felicity was getting ready to go out of town for some technology conference. She’d been talking about it for over three weeks now so I was well aware of the impending departure date. Four of the six of us were all sitting down to have dinner when Tommy now 7 almost 8 spoke up to announce that he had big news.

“I have an announcement to make. I have decided to enter the school’s science and technology fair. That being said I would like to go with mommy for the science conference this weekend.” I could have fallen out of my chair if not for the years of training that my years away had given me. My son who was both equal parts his mother and I had decided all on his own that the only way to win this little fair was to join his mother on her business trip this weekend. I smiled in spite of myself and looked across the table to gage his mother’s reaction. Her face was bursting with pride. Her smile was at least a 10 watt smile on the Felicity happiness scale. Since the twins were spending the weekend with their grandmother until Felicity returned; I knew that meant with Tommy gone only Riley and I would remain.

That night as we prepared for bed I hesitated to tell Felicity what was bothering me. Our entire marriage was built on trust, open communication, and well our physical relationship had yet to waver in over seven years of marriage. I didn’t know why I was so nervous to tell her what was bothering me. She would just hold me, kiss me and make everything better. So why was I nervous? Right because I knew deep down inside that I was being stupid and dumb. My daughter loved me quite fiercely. That wasn’t the issue the problem was we didn’t connect in the same way that Tommy and I did. With Tommy our connection was instant. Our shared love for his mother was what would bond us till the end of time. He like I was very protective of his mother. We both would move heaven and Earth to protect the women in our lives. Yes my seven year old son was going to grow up and become just like me an overprotective man who loved more fully than even he realized. Jake and Becca were only two. They were still learning to speak in full sentences but I could still sense my bond with both of them was strong. My daughter on the other hand didn’t really have her mother’s capacity for emotional openness. She like me tended to keep everything inside until she was ready to burst. I needed Felicity’s open heart to melt my sometimes closed off one.

Felicity waited the customary amount of time before finally breaking down my walls. I was standing in front of the window watching as the storm clouds started to roll in from the distance. My chest was bare as it often was and my body was leaning against the window frame. I didn’t even hear my wife come up behind me before she grabbed the top of my shoulders and forced me to turn around and fully face her. Once that was accomplished she moved her hands to grab my face and bring my lips to fully cover her own. She kissed me with the force she used when she wanted one of three things. The first being a new piece of tech for the cave, the next was fairly self explanatory and the third was to snap me out of my own head and bring me back to her. The cave was fully re-outfitted last month after a very long and rather enjoyable night that resulted in a locked door and many whispered promises. The second well given how our love life was never dull if she wanted that she would have my body pushed towards any flat service in a matter in seconds after our lips connected. Since my back hadn’t reached any type of wall I knew it was the third. She had sensed my hesitant mood this evening and was attempting to bring it to an end. Our mouths continued the dance that was by this point second nature while our hands continued to roam and pull, and knead the other’s body. Once she sensed she had my full attention she pulled back with her hands returning to my face to bring my eyes directly to hers.

“Alright what’s up? I haven’t had to kiss sense into you for years. So what gives?” I kept my arms banded around her waist and leaned my forehead down to touch hers.

“I’m sorry it’s just that with both you and Tommy being gone this weekend I’m worried about being here alone with Riley. I just still can’t find a way to connect with my own daughter and it really bothers me.” The look she gave me was a telling one.

“That’s why you’ve been so pensive? Why didn’t you just tell me, love if you feel that you can’t connect than use this weekend to do so. Oliver she’s you this should really be quite easy.” Still leaning into my wife’s warm embrace I laughed and stated…

“Yes because I was so easy to break.” She just leaned further into my chest and hummed. “Yes but only you know how I rescued you maybe you should tell our daughter why her name starts with an R. That would be a story that only you and your mini me would know. That love would bond you for life.” Did I mention my wife was entirely too smart for her own good.

We went to bed wrapped around each other and enjoying the feeling of being close, warm and loved. The storm I had been watching earlier started to rage outside. The trees surrounding our property started to sway causing the branches to beat and bang against the windows. My ninja senses as my wife dubbed them hadn’t grown any less acute in all these years so when I heard the tiny little rasp of my daughters hand on the door I bolted from my bed to my daughter’s waiting form. She usually preferred her mother when she was scared but since Felicity after our rigorous activities earlier in the evening was down for the count I was the only one available to her at this time. Pulling on a t-shirt I took her small perfect hand in mine and led her downstairs to the kitchen. Our kitchen was huge with all stainless steel appliances and room for twenty. I picked her up and placed her on the counter as I moved to get her a plastic cup of chocolate milk. I came back and handed her the cup of what she called her comfort drink and picked her back up cradling her in my arms. She adjusted easily holding her plastic cup and in one hand while the other arm wrapped around my neck and her legs wrapped around my waist securing her hold on my body. I walked into the family room and sat down on my favorite leather couch. She usually moved to sit beside me but this time she chose to stay wrapped around me. I have to say I didn’t mind the change in her usual routine. I sat there with my baby girl in my arms and moved my hands up and down her back whispering soothing words into her hair. I placed gentle kisses against the side of her head every once in awhile as I felt her slowly start to calm down.

I looked down to my daughter’s face and finally asked my little angel what was wrong. Her response reminded me of the day her mother had rescued me.

“Daddy I’m scared. The thunder and the lighting is scary. I just want it to go away. Daddy can you make it go away please.” She looked at me with her big blue eyes that were every bit as beautiful if not more so than her mother’s. I paused before considering my next answer. I knew this was my moment to connect to my daughter the way her mother my wife had recommended. I kept moving my hands up and down her back and bent my head down so that my mouth was next to her ear.

“I can’t make the storm stop sweetie but I can tell you how to be less afraid of it.” She settled further into my embrace relaxing against my chest so I continued.

“See daddy used to be scared of the storms too, until mommy rescued me.” This caused my daughter to lift her head slightly and say…

“How did mommy wescue you?” I smiled at how she pronounced the word. “Well daddy’s world used to be a constant thunder and lightning storm. I used to be in world that was filled with nothing but the thunder and the lightning. Then one day she made the storms go away. She made the storm end and made the sun return.” My daughter now hanging onto to every word I uttered spoke once more this time sounding slightly sleepier than before.

“How did mommy bring back the sun?” I smiled and kissed her cheek. “She loved me until I could see that the sun was always there just waiting for the storm to pass. She rescued me from my own storm and made me see my own light.” I waited to see if that answer had worked for my daughter. Her response told me it did.

“Thank you daddy. I think I can sleep now.” I asked slightly curious as to what had changed in my daughter’s young mind.

“why’s that sweetie?” She responded quickly and quietly. “You’re my sun like mommy was yours.” Felicity was right as she always was.

Tucking my now sleeping daughter back into her I bed I rose to gently kiss her forehead before quietly leaving the room and her sleeping form. My heart was lighter than it had been in days. I had finally achieved that life long bond with my daughter. Now I had four children that I shared a part of my soul with. Those thoughts continued to swirl around in my head as I entered my bedroom to see that Felicity had now woken up and was smiling from ear to ear. I closed the door and traveled the remaining steps towards my waiting wife. I bent over and kissed her waiting lips as she grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me towards her. We broke apart when I landed over her now half sitting half lying down form. I moved the hair from her eyes and quickly pecked her lips once more before leaning down towards her ear to whisper “thank you.”

That earned me another quick peck to my lips before she responded in her own whisper “you’re welcome, but I really should thank you.” I lowered myself closer to her warm body bracing myself with my arms.

“Why should you thank me it was your idea to tell her a story that would bond us.” Bringing her hand up to my face she used her index finger to lightly trace a line down from my face, down my neck, past my collarbone straight towards my heart. She smiled my favorite of all her smiles, her I love you smile.

“You never told me that I was your sun. You never told me that by loving you I had rescued you. I never knew how much I meant to you even then. I just wanted to thank you for seeing that you had your own light and, that you found it by seeing mine.” We both moved to erase any remaining distance between our bodies, but before we lost ourselves yet again we both muttered the same thing at the same time. “I love you.”


	4. Jacob's Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relation to Arrow or its characters.

 

Jacob’s Rules

 

Felicity Queen was the sun and then I had children. They became my universe. I can still recall being married for less than three hours when Felicity decided that we would have to have children sooner rather than later. Given how babies were created I had no problem with her way of thinking. However my wife was speaking about it from a completely different angle. See I was 30 when I finally realized that a life without her wasn’t going to work. I had just killed the Demon’s head and made Malcolm an even bigger threat than he already was. However all that mattered in those moments was the fact that I was free and Felicity was free to be with me. Our road trip was perfect and we were perfect together. My fears that by coming home to care for Thea we would lose our way were completely unfounded. We found our way because, we found a better way. I became the Green Arrow and within a year we were married. So given the fact that I was only 31 and she was only 26 I couldn’t quite understand the urgency of having children. My wife cleared that up for me in her own Felicity way.

“Oliver I’m planning on having children who are about two to three years apart. I’m also planning on having at least three. This means that if I do this correctly I’ll be having our third child well into my thirties.”

My expression was a mix of awe and confusion. “Felicity we’ve been married less than three hours I think we’ll have plenty of time to plan for our future child once we’ve been married for a little more than a week.”

She paused and bit her bottom lip slightly before responding. “I know love I just well given how long it took you to realize that you loved me enough to actually be with me; well I don’t want to have wait three or four more years for you to decide it’s safe to have children. You being the Green Arrow is never going to get less dangerous. I just don’t want who you are, who we are together to push us into maybe never finding the right time to have children.”

I was always amazed by her ability to completely blindside me with her emotional wants and needs. I was also amazed that she had spent so much time considering how I would feel about the safety of our future children. This was one of the many reasons that I fell in love with her to begin with. Taking her hand and putting it firmly between my own as I did in Nanda Parbat; then waiting till her eyes were once again looking into mine I spoke.

“Felicity the day I told you I wanted to be with you I meant it. The days that we spent going over and over how our relationship was going to work with my new identity are some of my favorite memories. What makes you think that I would ever want to take one step backwards when you’ve shown me how much we have going forwards?” She just smiled her I happen to adore you smile and stated as if it were a known fact

“See I knew there was a reason that I married you. So since we’ve established that we are in fact going to have children would you like to perhaps show me how you intend to keep your promise?” I smirked and slanted my mouth against hers as we both lost ourselves in the moment.

“Forgetting ourselves in the moment is what led to our youngest children or do you not remember that particular weekend when Tommy and Riley were with Thea?”

I did remember that weekend. I remembered that weekend quite fondly actually. We were in the middle of having one of our more drawn out arguments. The cause this time was our youngest son Jake or as he liked to be addressed Jacob Tyler Queen. He had recently taken to wanting his full name stated whenever he was addressed. My son the apple of my eye was all spitfire and pure unadulterated Queen energy. Jake had taken the calm and ease of our first two children and blew it up into tiny little bits. He was our fireball; he wanted to run the fastest, the furthest, and lord help you if he failed in meeting his goals. His other half was the calm to his frantic, the chocolate to his milk, the yin to his yang. Rebecca was the soothing balm to his rather active and forceful soul. However my three year old wasn’t going to be able to save her brother this time. Jacob had really stepped in it this time and that meant he would experience the full force of his mother’s anger. Crossing my wife was never the right move to make and my poor son has stepped a few feet across that line. Jacob had destroyed my wife’s brand new computer system that she was going to present to the board at the next Queen Industries meeting in three days. In short my son was in definite trouble.

I had walked into the laundry room from the garage entrance when I heard the crashing and then the yelling from Felicity’s home office. Today was her long day which meant I left at 2 so that I could be home with the kids during the afternoon. Both of us decided well into Tommy’s first year of life that we wanted to raise our children ourselves; we wanted them to have our influences and not someone else’s. However sometimes that plan didn’t always go according to plan; Tommy was only 8 almost 9 so he couldn’t really babysit quite yet. Riley was a very mature 6 year old but again not old enough to hold down the fort. Although explaining that to my oldest daughter did cause my wife to turn about seven shades of red one particular evening. The twins were three so again no go that left the watching of our small brood to members of the Green Arrow team. However today Thea had Verdent business to attend to along with training for her other job as Speedy; Laurel was the DA so really enough said. John and Lyla were busy running ARGUS and currently were on in mission somewhere in Africa. That then left Roy. Roy who claimed to be the Arrow to save me from bars; Roy the boy who became my partner in costumed leather bound crime; Roy who was married to my sister. Roy and Thea had only been married for about two years at this point and the subject of children was still a touchy issue. Thea wanted them and Roy wasn’t so sure. His past and the fact that up until four years ago he was living under an assumed identity still created some lingering doubt in his mind. Today it was his job to watch the brood until I came home to take over. Hence the loud rather disturbing sounds I heard when entering my 3 story, 8 bedroom home.

I walked past the kitchen that looked like a bomb made of flour had exploded all over the just cleaned counter tops. I walked past the family room to see various toys had been thrown on the floor, along with the couch cushion forts that were still half standing against the back wall. I continued my path towards the sounds of my children all yelling and screaming to find as they dubbed him the best Uncle ever standing in the center of Felicity’s office with her babies scattered all over the floor. Tommy was the first to see me approach and the first to explain the situation.

“Daddy it wasn’t Uncle Roy’s fault. He tried to stop him but once Jake make’s up his mind it’s a done deal.” I was attempting to remain calm and focused on the talk at hand. Once Felicity saw this she was going to be at a level 10 on her angry meter in a matter of seconds. I spoke very clearly keeping all my own disappointment out of my voice “Tommy get Riley, and Becca out of mommy’s office. I need to talk with Uncle Roy and Jake alone.”

Tommy obeyed grabbing his sister’s hands and leading them out of what his mother would soon be calling the crime scene. Roy looked up with a look that was a mix of a deer caught in headlights and I’m so never watching your children again.

“Oliver I’m so not going to be here when Blondie gets home. I was playing with the kids and we were having a great time.”

My face at this point gave way to aggravation. “Yes my kitchen and family room still has the evidence of what a good time was had by all.” My body language at this point showed I was in no mood for jokes. I had Roy pinned with an ice cold stare that would make even the Green Arrow take a step back. My arms were folded across my chest and I was not pleased. Roy sensing the direction was this was about to go held up his arms and said a small sorry before exiting the room. Thea would be getting a phone call about his conduct later this evening.

My son and I were the only two that remained in the now decimated office. Jake took one look at me and smiled. Of course he wasn’t afraid of me he knew all he had to do was cry a few fake tears and I’d melt into a puddle on the floor. All of my children knew that they along with their mother were my only weak spots. I attempted to look stern as I bent down to my son’s level.

“Jacob Tyler Queen what did you do to your mother’s office?”

He squared his jaw just like I do before I entered an argument, puffed out his small little chest and lifted his head higher. “Daddy they wouldn’t follow the rules. I told them that if they broke the rules again I would break something. “

My face was a mass of conflicting emotions ranging from awe, inspired, shock, love, and plain humor. Attempting to regain some of my facial control as well as vocal I pressed on. “Buddy what rules did they happen to break?”

He just rolled his eyes like duh dad and continued on. “Daddy the house is a mess, Uncle Roy said we had to clean up. No one did. So I broke something just like I said I would.”

I had had to stifle the laugh that I felt coming up from my chest. “You mean you broke mommy’s computers because they didn’t listen to Uncle Roy?”

He looked at me again like yeah duh before saying “Yes daddy I did. Mommy always says to listen to our aunts and our uncles. I was just doing what I was told.” I opened up my arms so that my son could run into them. Hugging him tightly to my chest I picked him up and walked out of the office. This was a discussion that was going to require his mother’s unique touch.

Felicity came home and was exhausted. The merger with Wayne was requiring a bit more of her time than even she had anticipated. She had been in back to back meetings for the past three weeks discussing the new technological and scientific advancements that both companies would have to make in order for the merger to really have the desired effect. I was involved in about 90% of this merger which for me was quite a bit. I tended to let my wife handle those mergers while I handled the more day to day aspects of the business. I had fed the kids my version of grilled cheese and tomato soup; then made sure Tommy’s homework was done and checked, bathed the twins and, then got everyone ready for bed. I lived for the moments when it was just the kids and I together doing homework, eating dinner, and just talking about their days. I was sitting on my favorite sofa after it was put back together of course and going over the notes for the meeting tomorrow morning when I heard the door slam and a loud Frack resonated through the still silent house. Felicity walked in and plopped right down next to me still wearing her coat and holding her purse. She leaned over kissed my check and then resumed to lean back and close her eyes.

Amused I looked over to gage her current mood. “So today was fun I take it?” She opened one eye slightly turned her head and said a quick “No.” Knowing what type of discussion we still had to have I took her small hand in mine and began to rub her knuckles in a soothing pattern. Two years into our marriage Felicity had figured out that we were about to have a large discussion whenever I did this small soothing action; catching on she shifted her body into mine and placed her hand against my chest.

“Alright which one is in trouble, and how mad am I going to be?” Without moving an inch I replied “Jake, your office, the computer system for the Wayne merger.” Her body was away from mine in 10 seconds and her in office in 5. She used her very angry voice, using many words that I hoped our children would never learn, and proceeded to fight with me to release any anger that she still might contain with her tiny frame. Once she figured out that arguing with me was going to do her not a lick of good she stated in a rather exhausted tone “I want to see my son now.” I really wouldn’t want to be our youngest son in about five minutes from now.

Waking Jake was easy since he was our night owl. I carried him down the stairs his arms wrapped tightly around my neck and his nose pressed against my neck with his legs cradled in my arms.

“If I tell mommy I’m sorry will she love me and forgive me?” His voice was timid and scared. Attempting to soothe away his fears I answered “Buddy mommy loves you more than almost anyone in the world. She’s just upset and wants to understand why you did what you did.”

He nodded his small head and I kept moving towards the family room. I deposited our scared little boy into his mother’s waiting arms. She hugged him tightly to her chest and kissed his forehead and then nuzzled his hair with her nose. I sat down beside them and put my hand on his leg and began to rub my hand back in forth hoping to ease my son’s young mind.

 

“Baby relax mommy got all her yelling out of her system. You should thank you daddy for listening to mommy rant and rave.” My son’s face left his mother’s neck and looked towards mine. “Thank you daddy.” It was quiet and subdued which as very unlike my son.

Returning his face to his mother’s neck and sinking further into her arms she continued. “Baby can you tell mommy why you broke her computers? They were very important to mommy and daddy’s work and it’s very important for me to understand what happened here today.” He looked up once again and his answer really did explain it all. “I wanted them to listen. I wanted attention, so I made a lot of noise.” I had told Felicity about our conversation earlier and it all finally clicked. He hadn’t done it to be bad he had done it because he thought it was right. Jake’s name stood for justice and truth hence Jacob Tyler. His sense of justice for Roy was to make them hear him by causing even more noise than they did. He was just trying to get his older siblings to listen.

“Oh baby next time just scream at the top of your lungs ok?” He must have smiled because at that moment so did Felicity. “ok mommy. Can I go back to sleep now?” She stood up still holding our son and began to carry him back to bed. “Yes baby you can go back to sleep now. We’ll talk more in the morning alright?” His answer was a quick k since he was about half asleep in his mother’s arms.

Watching Felicity be a mother to our children was just another reason that my love and affection towards her grew with each passing day. We had gone over the pros and cons of punishing our three year old and how to do that with Jake. Jake who was just trying to obey the rules in his own rather loud and destructive way. Of course Felicity eventually came up with the perfect solution. We were cuddling together on the couch with my legs stretched out in front of me and Felicity’s head in my lap. I had been slowly running my fingers through her hair as she slowly rubbed little patterns into my knee.

“Oliver what if we punish him by making him the boss.” My hand stilled and my eyebrows rose “Felicity baby I realize that you’re exhausted but would you care to run that by me one more time.” She chuckled and turned her body so instead of lying on her side she was now on her back so that her face could look towards mine.

“Yes love I can explain. What if we make him responsible for the other’s behavior when we’re not around? He wanted attention today, so he got it. He wanted them to listen to him so he made them. He might be three but he is by far the loudest and most demanding of all four of our children. So let’s make him the mini warden. If the other children break the rules he has to report them. He has to enforce truth and justice.”

I smiled down at my wife’s grinning face. I leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead before stating what we both already knew. “You my wife are brilliant. You’re making our son your inside man. That way he gets his attention and you get the other children’s behavior monitored by one of their own; you do realize that they are going to tease him endlessly.” She smiled again and this time grabbed my hand to kiss each finger softly. “Yes love hence why it’s still considered a punishment and not a reward. We’ll give him this little assignment for a week. By the end he’ll be so sick of it he’ll beg to just be one of the kids again.” I laughed quietly along with my wife as we just continued to smile and stare as we held each other’s hands.

Years later I looked back at that punishment with amusement. Her plan had indeed worked a little too well. Our son relished his new role and still to this day was the unofficial warden of our four beautiful children.


	5. Rebecca My Guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relation to Arrow or it's characters.

 

Rebecca my guardian

 

Felicity Smoak came into my life with a red pen and a head nod. She provided me with information, she helped save my life, she became apart of the team, she became the heart of the team, until one day she became my wife. Felicity Queen was my heart but; my children owned my heart. We had made the choice to not have any more children when Riley was a year old. With running a fortune 500 company, taking care of two children, making sure our marriage was always a priority, and being the Green Arrow we were just exhausted. So the original plan was amended after all we had the perfect family and almost the perfect life. However that all changed when Malcolm Merlyn as known as Raz al Ghul kidnapped my wife from our office in broad daylight.

It had been a normal day Felicity had been working yet again attempting to sway Wayne’s business associates to consider a joint project with Queen Industries. I still smiled everytime I saw the Queen name back on the front of the building. My smile was even wider everytime I walked into Felicity Queen’s office. I had been called away to Central City on Green Arrow business so she was alone that day without any of the normal protection that was usually always in place. I had taken John and Laurel with me on this trip since we would be meeting up with both Ray Palmer and Sara Lance. I did however leave Thea with Roy back in town I figured that she would be safe enough until I returned home in three days. My guess was very wrong. I was getting ready to take up my position alongside The Atom when my private com buzzed. I always answered that com because usually it was Felicity with a child related emergency which with an almost 4 year old and a 1 year old they happened quite often. I signaled to Ray that I would need a minute and pushed the com to answer.

My heart stopped dead in my chest and my world started to crumble before me. “Oliver it’s Thea, they’ve taken Felicity. My father kidnapped Felicity.” I was moving towards Barry before Ray had enough time to even ask why my face suddenly became pale. Barry had me back to Starling City in seconds. I changed in the underground parking garage where Felicity kept a spare car for nights when I might need to change before or after work. I raced up the stairs and flat out ran up the 40 something floors to her office. I had pinged Thea’s location even though I was fairly certain where she had called from. I rushed through the glass doors and had Thea’s sobbing form in my arms.

She was barely holding it together when she told me what had happened. “ I was coming to get her for a late lunch. I entered the office and saw an arrow with a note pinned beneath the tip. My father took her as leverage. He wants your help Oliver. Apparently HIVE has made a move against the league and he wants to team up to stop them from making any further moves in the future.”

My hold on my sister got even tighter and my voice was filled with unadulterated rage. “I want her found and I want her found now. Thea does Malcolm know about Felicity’s connection to HIVE?” Thea sobered when she realized the only reason he took Felicity was because she was Damian’s daughter. Her voice no longer filled with sadness was now filled with a rage that matched her older brother.

“I’ll contact Nyssa and see what information she can provide. I’ll also have her watch for Felicity to make sure she’s at least safe while in my father’s care.” Thea looked up to see that her big brother, her rock and constant pillar of strength was barely holding it together. Thea didn’t always know about their relationship but she did know that this woman meant everything to him. She was his world; then when Tommy and Riley came along his world grew by two. Her brother was going to do whatever he had to do to protect his family even if it meant dying. Hugging her brother even tighter she whispered into his chest “Ollie we’ll find her and we’ll bring her home. We won’t lose anyone else from this family I promise you that. We won’t lose her we can’t.” She pulled away and proceeded to call the rest of the team, along with the Nyssa. She was going to find her sister if it was the last thing she did.

Finding Felicity had been easy since she of course had left bread crumbs for her husband to follow. Nyssa had put a guard detail on Felicity once she was made aware of her presence in Nanda Parbat. Nyssa stayed with her the entire time and never once left her side until I had her back in my arms. Holding Felicity allowed for me to breathe once again. My entire body relaxed all at once the moment she ran into my arms. Her face was dirty and her clothes were slightly torn but otherwise she was breathtaking. I checked over every inch of her body looking for any signs that she been harmed or mistreated in the 48 hours that it took to find and rescue her. I lifted her body up towards mine until her legs had wrapped around my waist and her arms were banded around my neck. Once she was secured to my body I sagged to the floor bringing her even closer as if she would disappear if I didn’t. I kissed her neck, her hair, her checks, forehead, nose, anywhere I could find just to further reassure myself that she was here and in my embrace. Felicity was doing the same pressing her lips lightly to any part of me that wasn’t covered in green leather. I small cough interrupted our reunion. Nyssa moved forward out from the shadows to kneel before us.

“Oliver I did what I could to keep her safe while she was here. I’m so sorry for what has transpired today. However we still could use your and your wife’s assistance with Damian Darkh and HIVE.” I was about to decline when Felicity released her death hold from my neck and placed her hands aside my face. “Oliver, love help them. You have me, you saved me. Now make sure they never need to take me again.”

Four days later the mission was over. The league was intact and HIVE along with Damian had a few more dents in their armor than before. We had returned home to business as usual. It was a Wednesday when we returned home and Felicity had started to have nightmares of the abduction. Asking Thea to take Tommy and Riley for the weekend was my way of ensuring that I had two days to focus on reminding my wife that she was home, she was safe, that she was with me. She had agreed to her children being away from quite reluctantly.

“Oliver I’m fine it’s just a little nightmare it will pass. There is no need to have the children stay with Thea over the weekend.” Since our return she had been distant and hesitant to even touch my hand which for us was very out of the norm. She was standing in front of the bathroom mirror brushing out her hair while preparing for bed.

“Felicity...” she still hadn’t looked me in the eye in two days. “Love look at me.” I rarely called her love so I knew that by saying it I would get her attention. Her face indeed turned in my direction.

“We have to re-connect, we have to find each other again. You won’t even hold my hand. We need this time to heal together. You’re not the only one who’s been having nightmares. I lost you, I couldn’t find you and I’m just as damaged by that as you are.” I knew in that moment I had won.

She turned off the bathroom light and stepped towards me slowly at first and then with more speed as she came closer. She grabbed both of my hands as our fingers interlaced forming a seal with just our hands. Then taking another step closer pulling me along with her as she erased the distance that remained between us. Finally looking into my eyes she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed my lips quickly before moving slightly away. “I’m sorry love. I didn’t even think about how much this had affected you. I want us to re-connect and heal together. I’ll call Thea in the morning and arrange for the children’s weekend getaway.” I surged forward capturing her mouth with mine. Our weekend was heaven and we re-connected in every single way possible. Hence why 9 months later our third and fourth children were born.

Rebecca’s name was by far the most emotional for Felicity since I was the one who chose it. She had picked the other three’s names so I figured I should at least get to pick one. Staying within my wife’s requirements for the names to have double meanings I thought long and hard about my choice. Rebecca had two meanings. The first was again in honor of Tommy. His mother’s name was Rebecca and she was truly the woman who helped make Tommy the wonderful man that eventually grew up to be. I also chose Rebecca because of the r. The letter R had meaning for our relationship. It was a red pen that I remembered on our first all be it short date. It was a red dress that she wore that evening. The sheets that we made love in for the first time were also red. Many of our first’s happened with something red. Hell Felicity was wearing another red dress when I proposed, and she was wearing a red sweater when she told me she was pregnant each time. So our daughter’s name had loads of meaning. Her middle name Anne didn’t have much meaning to anyone but myself. It stood for acceptance. I had to accept many things in my life but once I finally accepted my heart wasn’t a weakness but in fact a strength I finally gained a life. Yes my daughter’s name was just full of hidden meanings.

Being the Green Arrow was difficult on a good day but today was a bad day, today was a day that I wanted to throw in the towel and just pass on the torch to another willing punching bag. Once again HIVE had reared its ugly head. They had managed to attack four hospitals, injuring 80 and killing 25 innocent people. According to Felicity they were looking for the medical supplies that had just been delivered to each location in the previous four days. The pain medication oxycodone was the target. We had yet to figure out the why and the how but we had to do so soon before more innocent people died. Felicity had been on the com’s the whole time listening as Thea got shot in the shoulder, John managed to get her safety but he too suffered from four bruised ribs and several cuts to his abdomen and legs. Laurel got caught under a falling pillar and was knocked out. She was still listed in critical condition at Starling General with a concussion, and a collapsed lung. Roy and I had managed to drag her body out before the rest of the building collapsed around us. HIVE had set us up by blowing the warehouse and most of the stolen drug shipments. I was holding Laurel’s unconscious form when I heard Felicity’s voice on the com.

“Oliver love, is she breathing? God please tell me she’s still breathing.” I looked down at my friends closed eyes and felt myself begin to waver.

Attempting to control the emotion creeping into my voice I replied “Yes love she is, barely. I assume you’ve called Lance and contacted Sara to let them know what happened here.”

Her response was immediate “Yes love I did. Lance is on the way with an ambulance and Sara actually is here with me attempting to reach out to Nyssa to see if the League might have more information than we currently do.”

I sighed silently to myself and continued walking towards Lance’s vehicle. “Alright Felicity Lance is here I’m going to stay until she’s in the ambulance and then I’m going straight to Thea.” I was expecting Felicity to respond but this time Sara came on the line.

“Ollie I reached out to Nyssa and they have more information than we do. I’m going with Ray to Nanda Parbat tonight. I’ll find out why they hurt our family and we’ll end this together all of us. I promise Ollie this will be ok.”

I replied “Thank you Sara. Tell Ray I appreciate his help as well. I’ll see you soon. Oh and one last thing thank you for choosing to stay with Felicity tonight. Thank you for choosing to protect my family over your own.”

Again her response was instant “Ollie they are my family, I love Felicity as if she were my sister, you’re children are my nieces and nephews. Your family is my family and I love them. I will always protect them.” She signed off and I knew she was gone.

I had made sure that Laurel was safe in her father’s care before heading back to our secondary base to check on Thea. The bullet shot was a clean through and through. She would be in pain for a few more days but she would live. I was still worried about Laurel when I finally arrived home. I had spoken to Felicity on the way to Thea and even while with Thea. She was concerned and scared but also beyond livid. I had parked the car in the garage and was getting ready to enter the house when I realized I was still in my Green Arrow gear. I was so distracted that I hadn’t even bothered to change at the secondary base. I would have to have Felicity go through and remove any evidence of my other identity in the morning. I expected the house to be silent hoping that Felicity had gone to bed hours ago but also secretly hoping that she would be awake enough to comfort me well into the morning hours. Opening the door and walking past the kitchen I spotted my youngest daughter, my little protector standing right outside the kitchen. I stopped frozen out of panic and a slight amount of fear. Our children didn’t yet know about my other job and frankly a three year old wasn’t quite well equipped enough to make sense of this Green get up. If I could have predicted her reaction this was not the one I would have picked. She saw me and without a word she ran straight towards me as fast as her little legs could carry her. Once she was close enough to touch me she jumped into my now outstretched arms. I had leaned down to her level when she started to run towards me so when she jumped into my open arms I was able to hold her closely and stand up slowly while holding my precious little girl close to my heart. She was only holding on to me with her arms tightly wrapped around my neck and legs hanging straight down. I could feel her little cute button nose pressed against my neck as I finally asked the pressing question. “Becca baby girl what are you doing up at this hour?” Her response was light and happy as she always was. “Mommy told us you had a bad night. So when I heard a noise I came down here to see you.”

My daughter had been impressing me since she was born but; but this blew me away. My three year old wanted to be the first to provide me comfort after I had a bad night. I just hugged her even tighter and smiled into her neck.

“Well thank you baby girl. But I think it’s time for you to get back to bed.” She nodded her agreement and I carried her up the stairs towards her room. I had her back in bed all snuggled beneath the sheets. I leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead before re-treating to my own bedroom and Felicity. However my little girl wasn’t done yet. She reached out from beneath the sheets and grabbed my face before it was out of her reach.

Looking into my eyes with the same intensity that I often had myself when looking at her mother she said “Daddy I love you.” She then attempted to bring my face closer to hers. I allowed her to do so curious as to where she was going with this.

She leaned up and kissed my nose and then let go. Surprised and touched I asked “Why did you do that baby?”

Without missing a beat she answered “That’s what you do when I’m sad.” I was barely able to choke back the tears when I uttered “Thank you baby girl. I’m all better now. I love you sweetie and I’ll see you in the morning.” Her eyes were slammed shut before I finished the last sentence. I left her room and traveled down the two doors to mine. I opened the door to find that my wife, my personal hero was indeed still awake and waiting for me. She didn’t say a word she just got up and walked towards me. Her hands went to zipper of my hood and then with ease she helped me change out of my gear, then led me to our bathroom tub and turned on the water. Once the tub was full she directed my now very weary body into the hot, steaming water. I could feel the multiple cuts and abrasions that my body had sustained that night as the water stung upon each one. She proceeded to clean each one, then she sat on the edge of the tub with her legs in the water behind my back and brought my head to rest against her thighs. Rubbing my temples softly she still said nothing knowing that words couldn’t ease my very troubled soul. Once she felt my body begin to relax beneath her touch she guided me out of the tub and into a warm towel. Once I was dried off, and my wounds were cleaned and bandaged she handed me the pj bottoms.

She had left to give me a few minutes on my own after spending the last two hours tending to my every need. I turned off the light and climbed into bed behind her and pulled her back closer to my chest. With my arms wrapped around her waist and our fingers now tangled together and my face buried in her shoulder she spoke “Tell me what you need love, tell me what you need to make this better.” She was now rubbing the side of her face against mine. Without lifting my head up I moved my lips towards her neck and began to kiss her pulse point before answering her question “You. I just need you.” She adjusted her body so that her lips could make contact with mine. I spent the remaining hours of the night and the early hours of the morning kissing, touching, and connecting with my wife. I always remembered that night for two reasons. That was the night that I realized I had two guardian angels my wife and my little Rebecca. That was also the night I finally realized that even in my darkest hour my family was now my light.


	6. You Love Her and It Shows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly loading them to this site. Very slowly....
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relations to Arrow or it's characters.

 

You love her and it shows

 

Felicity Queen was like a drug; one that I couldn’t seem to get enough of. Over the years numerous people had pointed out that I had seemed to sense whenever she was within my immediate presence. It was as if my body was attuned to hers. Other people such as John, Thea, Roy and even Sara pointed out that I wasn’t at peace unless I was near to or holding my wife. John had been pointing it out for years; well before I finally realized that I was in love with her. Thea mentioned how my body language would suddenly change once her hand was in mine. Roy well he just liked to taunt me about how my face would soften everytime she so much as walked into a room. Sara however was the most telling; her story went back to the moment when she knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I was starting to fall in love with Felicity Smoak.

Felicity and Sara had always had a special bond one that even Felicity and Laurel, hell even Laurel and Sara would never share. They were bonded by their shared love and affection for me. I can still remember every detail of Felicity’s face when I told her that Sara was alive. Her eyes widened, her mouth formed that oh so perfect oh, and she was in my arms in a matter of seconds. She was happy, ecstatic even but; most of all she was begging for the chance to once again hug her lost friend. Their reunion was messy, and beautiful all at once. When I was called to Central City by as Felicity called them Team Flash I took her along with me. We had been walking hand in hand through the massive building that was Star Labs with my thumb as usual moving across her knuckles. Her side was lightly pressed against mine as if she were seeking my personal comfort and warmth. Still walking in tandem the doors opened and there she was. Sara was alive and leaning against the door that led to Caitlyn’s medical space. At first her grip became like iron upon my hand until Sara smiled and began moving forward. Felicity started to move forward keeping contact with me until her fingers slipped from my grasp. They met in the middle of the room and enveloped one another in a tight embrace. Felicity’s face was obscured from my view because her back was still towards me but I could see Sara’s face. I could see her smile growing bigger and wider; I could also see the tears as they started to fall down her face. They stood like that for what seemed like hours just hugging, laughing and crying. I finally moved toward the two women and lightly grasped Sara’s shoulder while pressing my chest to Felicity’s back. With my other arm moving to encircle her waist they finally pulled apart. Felicity returning my half embrace while still keeping one hand in Sara’s. Sara was the first to speak in a language that wasn’t just crying and laughing.

“You’re still cute.” I smiled at their own little joke that had formed in a sweet moment between the two.

Felicity smiled “I missed you so much! God I have so much to tell you, there is so much to get you caught up on.

That day they spent hours just talking and laughing together. I didn’t say much I just enjoyed the light banter between the two women. It was years later now and since that day the two had kept in close contact. They decided that about once a month if it were possible they would have lunch together just the two of them to make sure they kept up on each other’s lives. Since Felicity was pregnant with Riley at this point and Tommy was still glued to her side she had extended the standing lunch date invitation to me. Felicity had left the table to take our little peanut as she come to call him to the restroom to wash his now pastry covered hands. I released my hold on her hand as she led Tommy to the back of the crowded restaurant. I glanced back to Sara and her face in that moment caused me to voice my thoughts.

“What are you staring at?” Her light filled eyes had zeroed in on my face so with a slight smile and a nod she explained.

“You really don’t see it do you?” I gave her my confused expression which included my scrunched up forehead and puzzled eyes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What don’t I see?” Sara leaned back in her seat crossing her legs and placing her arms across her chest. Still smiling she answered.

“The way you are with her it’s sweet. I remember when I first noticed it. You had walked down and saw her in workout clothes. Your response was classic it was just a simple what are you wearing not a why are you training, do you want help learning, or Sara can help you. No you asked what she was wearing. The next time I noticed it was after she was shot. I removed her clothing and stitched her up but it was your shirt you insisted she wear to cover up. It was you who told her that she would always be your girl.”

I was still not sure where this conversation was going so I again asked “Sara I still don’t understand what am I not seeing? I knew that I had feelings for her when we were together yes, and I know that I’m perhaps a bit too protective of her but; I really don’t know what I’m still not seeing.”

Finally taking mercy on me Sara leaned forward slightly and taking my hand in hers “Ollie it’s this. I always knew that you were fighting having feelings for her. I knew it when I met her, I knew it when she was shot, I knew it when you shielded her body with yours when Slade was in the foundry. Ollie you’re different with her. Yes you loved me and yes you loved Laurel but not the way you love her. Sure you kissed my lips, or my forehead and you showed your affection in front of others but; with Felicity it’s like she’s an extension of you. You just can’t seem to stay away from her. When we were all together in Central City you had either a hand, or your arm or just your body touching some part of hers. Today you’ve been sitting here for the past hour either holding her hand, or lightly touching her arm, or her knee. You literally have some part of your body in contact with hers at all times.”

She released my hand and leaned back waiting for me to respond. I sighed and looked down before stating “I know.”

Of course I knew I was constantly in contact with my wife. I had been like that since the day we left Starling City on our road trip. I had decided the moment she nuzzled her nose into my shoulder that I was done fighting what I felt for her. I was done hiding what I felt for her. It started off rather innocently in fact. I would just grab her hand out of the blue and interlace our fingers together. I would savor the feeling of her warm hand grasping tightly to my own. The touches began to change as the trip wore on. I soon was lightly trailing my index finger up and down her bare arms when we sitting at the beach, in the car, in bed, at dinner, anywhere really. The next change happened when I started to hold her hand so her palm was facing upward so I could trace all the little lines that graced her skin over and over again. I would do this again whenever we were seated just to feel her skin against my own. The last hurdle was the forehead kiss. Granted over the trip we had kissed, made out, made love and then started all over again multiple times each day but this was different. This was my way of making her feel cherished when our other options weren’t available. I kissed her forehead when she left a room, when she entered a room, when she woke up from a dream, when she was scared, when she was happy or sad. At some point I had just forgotten that the outside world existed and that became our new normal. When we returned home due to Thea’s health everyone had noticed the distinct change in our behavior towards each other. I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stay away neither could she. Her gaze almost never left mine even when we were fighting her eyes were locked straight to mine. She always reached for my hand even if we were grocery shopping she held my hand firmly in hers as we walked down the aisles. Her favorite thing to do was to grasp my arms or rub my shoulders whenever she felt that holding hands just wouldn’t do. She once told me that her favorite time of day was late at night when I pulled her back towards my chest so that no space remained between our bodies. She told me that she always felt a shiver of calm soothing energy pass through her spine when I ducked my head down to snuggle into the space between her neck and shoulder. She savored the feel of my lips as they kissed her slowly over her pulse point right above her collarbone. She relished the feeling of our hands joining together as our fingers interlaced. The simple fact of the matter was she relished, savored and, needed my touch as much as I did hers.

Snapping out of my own thoughts and turning back to Sara with a smile now gracing my face I answered more fully this time.

“I just decided one day that denying myself her touch, her presence, and all she had to give me was done. So yes I’m always in some sort of physical contact with my wife as she is with me. I’m in love with her in a way that I never knew was possible.” I looked up and Sara’s expression was unreadable. I was afraid that I had gone too far considering what our relationship had been at one point. She stopped me with a smile and her answer told me that I hadn’t gone too far in fact maybe I hadn’t gone far enough.

“Ollie relax. I know that you loved me and I know that you still do. Our relationship was based out of mutual need. I understood your past and you mine. We were both damaged and we both thought the damage was beyond repair. You were a playboy and slept with me in order to avoid impending commitment to my sister. I let you because I had wanted you first and she stole you from me. Then the Gambit sank, we both went through five years of soul changing hell. Mine even lasted one year longer. We were two damaged souls both seeking a release from our own demons. The difference was you had a release; you had someone who was already harnessing that light that was still inside you. It was her, it was always her. I’m just glad that you realized what you had before it was too late.” I let out the breath I had been holding and stated a simple

“Thank you.” By this point Felicity and the other soul who had an unchangeable hold on my heart had returned to the table.

Lunch was over and we had been home for hours at this point. Tommy had wanted me to read him his bedtime story tonight. So I found an old Winnie the Pooh book and told him about the rather blustery day. I felt my son’s head slump against my stomach indicating that he was finally down for the count. I very carefully removed his sleeping form from his curled up position over half of my body and tucked him securely into bed. Making sure he was truly fast asleep I lightly kissed the crown of his head before whispering a quiet I love you and walking quietly out of the room. Opening the door to our bedroom I paused. Felicity was sitting there with her back against the headboard and both hands gently rubbing her now slightly rounded stomach over and over again. I stood there for a few more minutes just watching as she lightly rubbed over her stomach and started saying soothing words. Such as "mommy can’t wait to see you baby”, or “ you’re brother is so excited to finally meet you.” However my favorite was “daddy’s eyes light up everytime you kick mommy” and as if on cue I saw her face jump indicating our second child had indeed just kicked mommy. It was at this point that she looked up to see me leaning against our door frame just staring at her.

“Love you can actually come all the way into the room. There is no need for you to stand so far away if you’re going to stare at me like that.” Her face was smiling softly and her eyes held the promise of something more.

Moving towards the bed I removed my shirt and then my jeans before climbing onto the bed and toward my waiting wife. I laid down on my stomach and brought my hands and my head to rest just against the slight protrusion that held my future daughter. Kissing the exposed skin I looked up and finally asked the question that had been on my mind all day since our lunch with Sara.

“Felicity?” Her gaze locked onto my mine encouraging me to continue.

“Does it bother you that I’m always touching you? Sara mentioned it today at lunch that I’m almost always in constant contact with you. I know why that is but I was wondering if maybe it ever on some level bothered you that I just can’t seem to stay away from you.”

Lightly scraping her fingernails across my scalp and then further entangling her fingers into my short hair she responded “You’re an idiot.” My eyes shot up at that one but she leveled the playing field with her own let me finish expression

. “I love you, I love the fact that I can’t count how many times a day you reach for me. I love that I have lost track of how many times your lips have grazed my forehead, or my check, or my nose. I love that you have different kisses for different moods. I love that when you are saying good bye it’s quick and light. I love that when say hello it’s longer and deeper. I love that when you want me your mouth demands my immediate response. I love that your body tells me in a thousand different ways how much you love me, how much you want me, how much you need me. I love how much you want me, desire me, long for me, cherish me, protect me.” She paused before finished so that when she did my eyes were looking directly into her own. Placing her hands aside my face as I placed mine over her stomach she finished. “Oliver I love how you love me” Shifting her body down so that our faces were now aligned she placed light kisses over my forehead, my nose, my eyelids, and finally my lips. Pressing her forehead to mine and closing her eyes “Does that answer your question love?”

I closed my own eyes as I brought my lips down to hers kissing and nipping as I traveled down her neck, to her collarbone, to her shoulder, to her where her heartbeat could be felt in her chest, down to her abdomen. I kissed over the exposed skin softly, murmuring I love you as I went. Her hands were once again tangled in my hair as I moved back up to once again leaned down to kiss her waiting lips. Without fully breaking our contact I whispered against her mouth

“Yes Fel-ic-ty, yes it most certainly does.” My mouth once again descended upon hers showing her exactly how I much I loved her and how I wanted to love her for the rest of the night. In the end Sara was right I did love her but it was as a friend, as someone who had suffered in the same ways that I had. I was hiding with her and she always knew that deep down I needed someone different someone who wasn’t damaged in the same ways that I was. I needed someone who had different scars, I needed someone who had already found their light and could finally harness mine.


	7. Daddy's Scars: Tommy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relations to Arrow or it's characters.

 

Daddy’s scars: Tommy

 

Felicity Smoak had accepted me as I was scars and all. Felicity Queen taught our children that the scars were just a reminder of what I had to go through to become their father. Each one of our children found about my scars in a different way. Each one questioned the various tattoos and markings that covered my skin. Each one was curious at first about what had happened to make daddy’s skin unlike their own. I knew of course that this day would come I had just hoped that when the time came I was ready for them to see that unlike them I had to break before I could find who I really was. Tommy was the worst because he was the first. He was about four when he first really understood that my skin was vastly different in comparison to his mother’s.

“Felicity why do we have to do this again?” I was standing in our bedroom watching as my wife pulled out every pair of shorts that I owned and threw them into the suitcase. I was attempting for the fourth time in the last hour to get my wife to explain to me why the beach was the perfect location to explain my scars to our son. Without pausing in her frenzied movements she continued to pull out various items of clothing and haphazardly throwing them into the suitcase that really wasn’t going to be able to hold much more.

“Oliver he’s been asking you for the past week ever since Ryan Jeffrey that foul tempered little boy pointed at you when you shirt rose up slightly and said what’s that. Ever since then he’s been begging you to explain your …” using her fingers to create quotation marks “different skin and you keep dodging the question.” She resumed her previous activity so her back was turned when I rolled my eyes and collapsed onto our bed in defeat. She was right I had been avoiding the conversation ever since my son finally got up the courage last week to ask why my skin was so different from everybody else’s. I knew it was coming I had just hoped that maybe he would ignore what he had seen and just let it go. I should have remembered that my son was also Felicity’s son and that meant at even four this mystery had to be solved. “Oliver I can sense you brooding from here. He’s our son you knew he was going to ask. You love were hoping he would be older and that he would just figure it out on his own. I believe I told you that wasn’t going to happen when he was two and tried to open the door to the Green Arrow Cave.” She was right of course his natural curiosity had been fun for us to curtail for the past few years.

I was still slumped on our bed in defeat when she stood up and walked around the various piles of clothes that she had been throwing around with zeal and walked toward me. Coming to stand between my parted legs she bent down and sat down on right leg wrapping her arms around my neck. As always whenever she was in near my body I accepted her presence and her warmth by using my arms to bring her body closer to mine. Resting my head against her chest and feeling her head rest upon mine I spoke.

“I’m sorry Felicity I just…. I don’t know how to explain to our perfect pure son what happened to me. I don’t have the words to explain to my four year old son that I was beaten, shot, tortured, stabbed and put through various kinds of hell for years. I don’t know how to explain that going through all of that turned me into the man that you deemed to love. I don’t know how to explain that when all was said and done those horrible years were worth it because I became a better man in spite of it.” My voice had gotten softer and quieter with each passing word that came forth from my lips because they were coming from the depths of my soul. Placing soft kisses into my hair and softly rubbing the nape of my neck she pushed on.

“Oliver love just tell him that but dumb it down for a four year old. He doesn’t need the gory details he just needs to know that those damn scars and tattoos and marks make you beautiful.” As usual my wife’s words took my breath away. I found a way to hold her even tighter and carefully brought our bodies down to the bed. With my back on the mattress, she shifted her body to lay directly on top of mine so that our noses were touching and our eyes were level with one another. Placing my arms around her back to secure her position I placed a light kiss to her lips and with a shaky breath I expressed what her last statement made me feel.

“You have no idea what an affect you’ve had on me do you? You accepted my scars, hell I can still remember you gazing at me from your seat in the old foundry watching me with an almost carnal gaze. You never saw those damn scars you just saw me and you thought all this time that I was beautiful? Do you have any idea how god damned beautiful you are to me right now in this moment? Do you have any idea how much how much you’ve changed my life?” Those eyes that I could get lost in just stared into mine with certainty.

“Of course I know you tell me every single day in so many different ways. However if we have that conversation we’ll never have the one that matters. You my husband are perfect as you are. Our son loves you and will still love you even when you tell him about your beautiful scars.”

We didn’t have the rest of that conversation but I did manage to kiss, and touch, and caress my wife’s body lovingly for a few hours before she decided that I was still stalling and off we went. She had to choose the beach of all places for my son and I to have a heart to heart. She couldn’t just lock us outside in the backyard nooo… she had to make this a family event. About a year after we were married and right before our son was born I had made what she called a babymoon impulse buy. The beach house was large but still rather homey. The white paneled Rhode Island style cottage’s front wrap around deck faced the ocean with the back facing the hilly terrain that was present in California. The 2 story home had a lower wraparound porch and an upper wraparound porch that was connected to the master suite. Off the master suite the home had four other bedrooms, a large eat in kitchen, a family room and a three car garage attached to the home. The real selling point however was the large finished loft space that was above the garage but was connected to the second story of the house. I bought the house as a baby gift for our soon to be expanded family. Located about an hour from our home in Starling City made it perfect for weekend trips; it was just far enough to feel that we had left all the work behind us but close enough for us to still return in an emergency. Felicity often joked that if she wasn’t already pregnant this house would have solved that problem in two days. So here we were us and our two children taking a little weekend trip so I would have nowhere to run; so I would have to face my son. Again my wife was way too smart for her own good.

Felicity had planned this down to a t. She took Riley and got her all dressed up in her pink and white bathing suit and took her out back for baby’s first swimming lessons in the in-ground pool that took up most of the house’s backyard. That meant I got to take Tommy to the beach so he could race in and out of the breaking waves. Tommy was wearing his favorite “Green Arrow” trunks and was attempting to pull my hand as he tried in vain to lead me toward the beach. Felicity just sighed, and with a kiss to my cheek and smack on the ass she pushed me out the door. Yes my wife always had a plan. Tommy had been running in and out of the crashing waves for about ten minutes with me racing right along with him before he decided he wanted his answer. Out of breath and smiling he looked up and started first of my four hardest conversations that I would ever have.

“Daddy what are scars?” I was also wearing a pair of swim trunks and having no shame with my body nothing else. I assumed based on the curiosity that laced his question that Felicity might have attempted to ease me into this conversation the best way she knew how. I silently thanked her foresight and answered.

“Well buddy scars are what happens when someone gets a cut and it’s all healed.” He took a step closer and raised his tiny hand to touch one of the many scars that covered my abdomen. I just stood there with my arms at my sides and attempted to keep my breaths even as his little fingers moved across my marred skin. His nose wrinkled just like his mother’s and his eyebrows scrunched as he asked his next question.

“Daddy why are they bumpy? Is that normal? Why do you have so many? Does mommy have them too? Am I going to get any?” I was both impressed and horrified my son’s questions. Taking his hands in mine I led him further up the beach so that we could sit down on the towels that Felicity had thrown into the bag that she had draped over my shoulder before we left. Sitting down with him right next to me we faced the ocean and I began my story.

“Tommy my scars are the reason that I met your mommy and the reason that I got you and your sister.” I knew that to a four year old that sentence made no sense so I did what Felicity told me to do I made it simple. I was right when I glanced at his confused expression and tried again.

“Alright buddy lets try again. You know what happens when you fall down and scrape your knee?” My son smile and nodded.

“Yes daddy either you or mommy come and make it better.” I smiled and nodding my own head I continued.

“Yes we do. Well my scars happened before mommy could come along and make them better.” He once again nodded and asked

“Why not, mommy is always there.” I laughed this time knowing that in our son’s mind his parents were always going to be there. By this time my son had moved closer and had leaned his tiny head against my knee.

“Well mommy and I hadn’t met yet. I got my scars because a few very bad people kind of beat me up.” This got his attention; he lifted his head off of my knee and moved to sit in front of me.

“Daddy no one could beat you up, you’re very strong.” As if to prove his point he took his little hand, fisted it up and punched my leg.

“See you didn’t cry so you’re strong.” I once again chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“Well peanut I was different then. I wasn’t as strong back then.” He just nodded and stated as if it were a fact

“But you are now and that’s all that counts. Mommy even said so.” I don’t think my face had ever made that particular expression before I lifted my eyebrows and did a slight head nod at my son’s assessment.

“That’s true. Peanut the reason for my scars is hard to understand. In the end they brought me to your mommy and that brought you to me. In my mind that’s all that matters anymore.” This answer seemed to do the trick. He stood up and walked into my now open arms and hugged me tightly. With his nose pressed against my neck he stated

“Ok, can we keeping playing now?” Just like that the conversation was done and he had moved on. I was silently thanking my lucky stars.

We had a blast that day running and playing in the waves. He was so tired that I had to pick him up and carry him back to the house. Felicity was at this point lying down on the sofa with Riley in the playpen next to her. They were playing with red and blue boxes when I walked in. She started to move but I put a hand up and mouthed no. I had this; she could tend to Riley and I would get Tommy ready for bed. I managed to wake him up enough to get him to take a quick bath so that he didn’t go to bed covered in sand. Once he was dried and dressed in once again his favorite “Green Arrow” pjs he slowly climbed into bed. I re-positioned him as I pulled the covers back and finished tucking him in. He nuzzled his face into his pillow and turned to curl up on his side. I was about to leave the room when he quietly with his eyes still closed spoke.

“I love you daddy, even your scars.” Whatever emotional scars I still might have hearing my son’s voice started to make them fade away.

I walked back downstairs to see my wife was now playing peak a boo with our daughter who was sitting in her highchair waiting to be fed. Felicity looked up when she heard me entering asking her question with just her eyes.

“We had a good day love.” She smiled at the term of endearment since I so rarely used them. Returning her eyes to our daughter who was now babbling constant nonsense and clapping her hands together happily.

“So I take it he’s not having dinner tonight?” I came up behind her and placed a kiss on her head and the moved to place a kiss on our daughter’s before sitting down in the chair beside her.

“No he’s down for the count. However that means he’ll be up at 5 wanting to be fed.” I looked over at my daughter and resumed the game that Felicity had been playing before I walked in.

“Alright well than remind me tonight to set the alarm to make sure one of us is awake to feed the Queen boy.” I glanced in her direction without pausing the game with Riley and replied with my hands still flapping open and closed in front of my face

. “No I’ll get up it’s my fault he’s so wiped. I had him running for hours. Also you were right he just needed a simple answer not a long one.” By this point she had leaned back in her chair and had one leg propped up on Riley’s highchair just watching the game in front of her.

“Deal but that means once she goes down for the night so do we. I don’t need you trying to survive on 4 hours of sleep. You are no longer the man with demons and nightmares. You now have a wife and two children who require you’re full attention.”

I just laughed and stated “Yes ma’am.” Once Riley was fed, bathed and down for the night we returned to our room and got ready for our own slumber. She was already in bed and curled on her side when I joined her pulling her body towards mine. Once we were settled together with our hands entwined I moved my face so that my mouth was directly above her ear. Lightly kissing the shell I then whispered

“Next time we are having that conversation together.” She nodded and moved her head closer to my lips and spoke.

“Deal because the next one is Riley and then one day we’ll have to have the grown up talk. Those we will do together with your hand in mine.”

I kissed her once more and muttered “Deal” before falling into my own peaceful slumber.


	8. Daddy's Scars: Riley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer; No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relation to Arrow or it's characters.

 

Daddy’s Scars: Riley

 

Felicity Smoak saved my life in many little ways. Felicity Queen also saved my life and the lives of many others. I can remember our first almost fight as a couple. I was nervous about having to go through our history once again. I had made many mistakes that I didn’t want to drudge up. She however was convinced that we had to talk about our past so that it didn’t cloud our future. Felicity however was very determined to hit on two rather large open wounds Nyssa and Malcolm. We had been on the road for about a month at this point and yes the topics had come up but I could usually evade those conversations by slanting my mouth against hers. I would then entangle every aspect of our mouths together until you couldn’t tell where I began and she ended. This usually led to our hands moving and roaming across the other’s body discovering new places of both pleasure and pain. Those actions led to my body melding completely with hers until like our souls our bodies met in a perfect harmony that left us both sated and complete in every way humanly possible.

However a month into our new found closeness Felicity had caught on to my rather enjoyable trick and stopped my advances before they could begin.

“Oh no you don’t; you come near me with that lustful desire filled look in your eyes and we won’t be talking again for another 8 hours.”

I smirked “another 8 hours really?” She looked at me like I was crazy for not understanding the effect that I had her

“Like you don’t know. My god Oliver the way you make me feel with just lips alone should be considered a crime. If you come near me, if you stare at me like you are right now, if you interlock our hands forming that perfect union, if you seal your lips to mine and start that desire filled dance with your tongue I’ll be a goner. The effect you have on me is like a drug, you complete me in a way that I’ve never experienced before in my entire life. I would love nothing more than to lose myself in making love to you over and over again however we have to have this discussion and you delaying it has to stop.” She was standing on the other side of the small hotel room that we had picked to stay in for the night. The room had a king sized bed a small but usable bathroom and a small sitting area off the bedroom area. She was on the side closest to the bathroom with me on the other. The bed had become our barrier and I so wanted to make the bed her white flag. However she had drawn the line in the sand and that meant I finally had to comply.

Sighing and choosing to sit on the small couch on my side of her personal Berlin Wall I replied “Well number one I’m glad that I complete you in a way no other man has before. We will be discussing that particular statement in greater detail later on tonight. I also need you to understand that it’s killing me that you won’t let me near you. Touching you is my drug, feeling every inch of your skin against mine as we slowly explore and discover each other is what soothes my soul. Seeing your face every morning when I wake, kissing you whenever I want is what heals my rather tortured soul. So before we start this argument you need to understand that as much as I affect you, you have the same if not an even stronger affect on me.”

My confession must have shocked her more than I thought it would. She slumped onto the bed with her mouth open and her eyes slightly widened. Her breathing had become more rapid and shallow with each word that came out of my mouth. Her eyes hadn’t once left mine during my entire little speech and they still hadn’t a full two minutes later. I was attempting to keep my hands clenched to the sides of the couch as she slowly stood up, her skin was flushed turning it from the usually pale hue to a darker pinker shade. Her hands traveled up to her hair releasing it from her usual ponytail confines. As her hair cascaded down her bare beautiful shoulders I felt my own breathing begin to accelerate. I remained still unsure of what she was deciding to do. This was a new dynamic usually I was the one that initiated our more desire and lust filled encounters. This time she was flipping the script. She walked around the bed and came to stand before me. I could feel her desire was now matching my own; she held out her hands and I gladly accepted them. Rising up to my full height and looking down to lock my heated gaze to hers she finally spoke.

“I didn’t know that; I didn’t know that by keeping myself away from you I was hurting you. I never truly knew until this moment how much you love me.”

I smiled and leaned down closer to press my lips to hers. Our lips were barely touching when I replied “So I take it our little discussion has yet again been put on hold?” I didn’t even try to keep the lust out of my voice nor did I attempt to stop my body from reacting to her now rather wonderfully close proximity. Her reply was short and to the point with our lips so close to achieving the desired connection her lust filled voice now matching mine replied

“What do you think.” Her lips connected to mine with a force that I had only experienced a few times during our past month together. As we started the soul binding dance that we both knew so well all thoughts of talking were gone.

That memory usually came back to both delight me and to torment me in equal amounts. Marriage hadn’t dulled our shared desire or lust for the other in fact if anything the need for that connection grew with time hence why she was pregnant within a few months of our wedding day. However today that memory was to torment; Felicity had learned over many years of marriage how to have a fight with me. She made sure I was firmly separated from her by at least 25 feet than she kept herself far enough away until I realized that the sooner we had the fight the sooner her body would be within my grasp. As I’ve always said my wife was entirely too smart. Our disagreement today had to do with Riley. We were in her QI offices so that also created a barrier between me using my usual tactics to sway her out of a fight. She was sitting behind her desk and her eyes were set in anger and annoyance.

“Oliver she saw you in action, and in the leather get up. I really don’t think you can lie about it this time love.” I loved that she always called me love it just added another level of intimacy to all or our interactions. However that would be moving off the subject at hand. I was standing on the far side of the room to maintain her rule of 25 feet during an argument. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and replied back with just as much anger as her tone had leveled at me.

“Fel-ic-ity I’m not having this discussion again. It’s bad enough that Tommy wants to follow in my footsteps but Riley is having nothing to do with this life. I’m not going to give her any ideas by telling her who I am.” Her anger in that moment must have caused a lapse in her usually flawless judgment because she stood up and walked forward until she was standing directly in front of me with her laser focus directed entirely on me.

“Oliver Jonas Queen you are telling your daughter the truth. Tommy found out because he stumbled upon the basement lair. He is now off training to be your heir in some god forsaken military school that you, John, and Sara Lance found without my knowledge or consent. I had no say in that choice so you my darling husband don’t have a choice in this one.” Her last statement was made very clear by her jabbing her index finger into my chest with each word.

I leaned forward into her rapidly decreasing personal space and leveled my Green Arrow gaze at her.

“Felicity Meghan Queen I’m not making our precious, beautiful and innocent daughter apart of this life. Tommy went above me and had both John and Sara on board before I could even raise an objection. Riley is not going to be another version of that mistake. I’m not loosing another child to this god damn crusade. The answer is no.” I unlike my wife had not jabbed my finger into her chest I knew that would have me sleeping on the couch for the next month. Now her chest was touching my own and we were both breathing harder than we were when this argument had started. Our arguments had another unexpected side affect that was also discovered during another argument during our first months together. The closer we got the more intense our connection became. We were like moths to an open flame we just couldn’t resist each other once we were in the other’s orbit. Felicity’s eyes were getting darker and that familiar pull was starting to pull our bodies even closer together. Our palms were touching along with our foreheads as we just kept getting closer and closer to our own personal flame. Felicity was the first to break our desire filled trance.

“Alright this has to stop, first I’m not having sex with you in our office, and secondly this argument is far from over.” I gulped but still made no move to break our connection nor did she.

“I agree. This is absurd you would think that by know our reaction to each other would have diminished instead it just gets stronger with time.”

She smirked “I know it’s like we’re magnets that are just constantly attracted to the other. However you are going to tell her the truth but you won’t be doing it alone.”

I opened my eyes at that statement to see the lust and desire was replaced with love and understanding.

“ I know you’re scared love I am too. After what happened with Tommy I couldn’t bear if another one of our children followed us into this life; but she’s our daughter and like our son she deserves to hear the truth from us her parents.” We had yet to move a muscle from our current positions and I doubted we would for several more minutes now. However I knew that our argument was done and that she had again won.

“Alright love we’ll tell her tonight and we’ll do it as we have done everything thus far… together.”

She smiled and this time lightly pressed her lips to mine. “Now that I can agree with.”

Being the second born of the Queen children was a difficult job, what made it worse was the fact that I was also a girl. Tommy was in some foreign military school learning to fight like our father the famous Green Arrow. Tommy being 18 informed our parents rather loudly that he could make up his own mind and given how stubborn he could be they folded rather quickly. He was 15 when he found out about our parents other life which made me 12 almost 13 because I had yet to have my birthday. Tommy and I had always been close so when he found the secret lair underneath our rather massive house he had woken me from a dead sleep at 2 in the morning to show me.

“Ri Ri wake up. Come on I know you can hear me open your eyes and get a move on.” I peaked open an eyelid and glared.

“Tom Tom I’m sleeping go away.” He proceeded to grab my braid and yank down hard. “Wake up Riley I have something incredible to show you.” I now opened both eyes and used my mother’s angry face to convey my rather heated emotions.

“Yeah like the last time you had something incredible to show me. That as I recall was a volcano that you had built for some prank at the school science fair. Although you were grounded for a month and you had to do manual labor for dad so that was pretty funny.” He glared and rolled his eyes while also sticking out his tongue.

“No this time I’m serious this is huge.” Sensing my older brother wasn’t going to stop I hauled my very tired body out of bed. “Fine but I have practice in the morning for the debate team and if you wake up the twins Jake the snake will rat us both out before Friday pancakes.” Smiling in victory we did our secret handshake that we had been doing since he was 6 and I was 4 and we proceeded down the stairs towards the first floor.

“Oh my god it’s a basement door! Wow what a discovery! You should be in the papers for this astonishing find!” I had my mother’s looks but almost all of my father’s personality traits including his gift for sarcasm.

“Oh shut up Ri, open the bloody door and walk down the stairs then I can make the snide remarks.” My brother the little bastard had received equal personality traits from both sides. I opened the door with a huff and proceeded down the dark unlit stairs. Finally reaching the bottom and flipping the switch on the right of the staircase I saw what my brother had woken me up for. It was amazing it was a fully outfitted super hero lair. You could feel my mother’s influence in every nook and open space. You could also feel my father and his task oriented mind in how things were placed and the overall flow and movement of the room. I gaped with shock and awe as I ran around the various computer screens and hi-tech equipment that was located in the center of the brightly lit room. Off to the right were various leather suits. One was all black with buckles and a blonde wig, the other was mostly red with some black and lots of intricate stitch work woven throughout the main jacket. Another one was there but is was basic black with no real design or creative elements, it was solid and basic. The last one was famous the last one was on many pairs of pjs that I had growing up. It was green with a cloth like hood, intricate stitching up the jacket and pants to match. The other wall was filled with weapons of all sorts, guns staff weapons, bows, arrows of all sorts and some I’ve never even heard of. There was another wall also filled with glass cases containing even more leather get ups. One was all red and looked to be made of a material that would reduce wind speed and would hold up under extreme speed. The other was pure white and very similar in design to the black outfit with the blonde wig. The last one was a machine or a robot looking suit that was red, blue and black. Looking around and taking in the full picture I realized what were standing in.

“My god Tommy were standing in the lair of the Green Arrow.” He smiled as I finally put the pieces together. “Oh my god our father is the Green Arrow which makes our mother The Oracle.” Needless to say I was going to be rather tired at debate practice tomorrow.

Our parents were some of the most notorious vigilante’s in history and they had a lair underneath our feet this entire time. I found a chair next to a workstation that was filled with various types of equipment that was used for god only knows what. I slumped into the chair with a thud while Tommy rather smugly took the seat next to mine. I was in shock, I was pissed off, I was confused.

“How did you find this, when did you find this, how did we not figure this out?” The questions were finally forming in my mind and coming out of my mouth with my voice rising with each confusion laced question. Tommy of course was calm and collected because well he already knew about this…huge gigantic lie.

“Ri Ri they did it to protect us you have to know that.” Of course he could sense what I was feeling; since we were kids he had always been able to sense what I was feeling and thinking. The gift also went the other way much to my delight and his annoyance.

“Toms I knew you hiding something from me but I thought you had taken dad’s motorcycle out for a joyride I never would have guessed it was this.” He just smiled and let out a sigh of relief

“I’m so glad I told you Ri Ri, I’ve been going crazy for weeks with this information. I just wasn’t sure if I could show you all this and still feel like I’ve done my job as your big brother.” I winced at the last statement. That was Tommy for you; always trying to protect me from any possible danger in sight. Patting him on his back and then smacking the back of head I retorted back.

“Number one thank you for once again being like our father and being overprotective. Secondly how could you not tell me about this sooner I mean weeks Toms weeks? We could have been discussing this instead of how I was going to win the debate. Also how did you find out?”

He told me, in great detail mind you for almost 3 in the morning about how he had found out.

“You remember about a month or maybe a month in half ago when everyone was camped out in the house for three days?” I nodded slowly and recalling that the house had been full of both people and warring emotions. Everyone had been here, Aunt Laurel, Aunt Sara, Uncle Digg, Aunt Lyla, their children, Aunt Thea and Uncle Roy and their children, grandma, grandpa and even their business associate Ray Palmer had shown up. They all claimed it was to keep mom company while dad was away on some as it turned out 3 day business trip. I hadn’t really bought that line but I was just so excited to have everyone together that I bought the lies and enjoyed our time together.

“Yeah sure I remember that, I didn’t really buy the story but yeah I do remember how weird they were all acting; why?” Tommy now nodding and looking down responded

“Ri they were here because dad was hurt.” My world stopped and my face fell “what do you mean daddy was hurt, Tommy he was fine, he was back three days…later.” As if the pieces finally clicked into place I realized the truth.

“Dad was hurt in the bomb that was placed in the upper levels of Queen Industries wasn’t he?” I felt the tears start to run down my face. My father, my daddy was almost killed and we had never been told. He was hurt and could have died down here in this cave and they weren’t going to tell us the truth. Now I was mad and I wanted answers. Tommy once again seeing the whiplash of my changing emotions across my face put his left hand on mine and used his right hand to steady my shoulder.

“Riley just take a deep breath and calm down. We can’t tell them that we both know. And yes they did lie but it was to protect us not to hurt us.” I was still fuming and attempting to escape my brother’s grasp. “How can you be so calm about all of this?

” My anger rising “OUR FATHER ALMOST DIED AND THEY WEREN’T GOING TO TELL US!” At that he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.

“I know Riley, I know but we know now and that is the last time that we’re going to left out of the loop. I promise Riley we’ll never have to be in the dark again.” We just stood there hugging each other until we both felt that we were really in this fight together as family should be.

That night we had talked about his plans to one day join team Green Arrow. I of course thought he was crazy and of course I told him so. We talked well past 4 am and needless to say the morning was filled with our parents sharing worried glances back and forth at their both usually chatty oldest children. So we made a plan Tommy was going to get caught in the liar by either one of our parents and then he was going to force them to tell him the truth. His thinking was that if he could get in on the bottom floor and then spend the next three years convincing the other team members that he had what it took to one day pick up our father’s mantle; that one day our father could retire. His plan for me was to say nothing. Tommy had thought this through and had gone through the various papers and articles that had been published since the Hood had come on the scene. He explained how our father came back from Lian Yu with a mission and that somewhere along the way the plan shifted and changed once his namesake died during the Undertaking. Tommy than traced both the Arrow and the Hood to many busts including the Undertaking and some zombie soldier invasion that injured and killed many. However he really made some headway when the Arrow or the foe Arrow our Uncle Roy was taken into custody. He apparently died in jail and well since he’s married to our Aunt Thea and they have Meredith, and Corey my guess is he didn’t. Finally after going through the numerous Green Arrow years he told me that my role was going to law enforcement. That’s right my brother wanted to become the Green Arrow and he wanted me to follow in our grandpas footsteps and be his inside man. Yeah my brother really did love his plans.

Flash forward three years and two days and here I sit in our family room waiting for my parents to do the big reveal. I knew I had screwed up but mom was in the building and dad didn’t know. The guy had a gun to my mother’s head and my father was nowhere in site. Tommy and I had found a way to hack our mother’s firewall a month after he told me the truth so that when they went out we could monitor the com chatter. We knew every plan, every mission and every villain they had taken down in the last three years. Tommy was using this information to train and to plan for his ultimate goal of taking over for dad. I was training to be well mom; and to be become his inside man in the police department so that meant he followed them out to the missions and stayed behind to monitor the situation. Since Tommy was off become Luke Skywalker I was left to monitor the chatter as I normally did and that’s when I heard my mother’s scared but still strong voice come through the com. She wasn’t begging for her life she was informing whomever was threatening her life that he was going to regret that course of action. Of course her language was a bit more colorful than mine. That’s when I heard the click of the gun and my heart froze. This man was going to kill my mother and I was going to hear it. My father was on the other side of town dealing with by the sounds of it 3 or 4 armed assailants so he wasn’t going to get there in time. I did what any daughter we would do I went up the 20 flights of stairs from my hiding space in QI and bought my father some time.

My plan worked the gunman was distracted so my mother was able to signal my father who came crashing through her multiple glass windows not even 20 minutes later. He saw my mother and then he saw me; with reflexes that Tommy could only dream of he removed the threat of the gunman before they both came barreling towards my still shock ridden body. He was impressive and pissed. Thus my current predicament. My parents were impressive people on a good day; today however they were my personal hero’s. In the walked their hands tangled together and their bodies both strong and in control. Watching them enter I fully realized that the bond they shared was unbreakable. I knew my parents were in love hell anyone who so much as watched them interact could see how much they loved each other. They were always touching, looking, glancing, kissing, they were always in contact with the other so it was no surprise to see them walk in together, holding hands and ready to tell me the truth. I just smiled and waited for the conversation that was going to change all our lives.

We sat down in front of Riley our hands still joined; her face was passive and calm the one trait I really wished she hadn’t inherited from me. Felicity spoke first

“Riley how long have you known about our other job?” She was direct and to the point. Felicity had decided that based on our daughter’s real lack of confusion and shock given the situation that she had to have already known about my other identity before hand. Leveling our daughter with her patented don’t lie to me gaze she encouraged her to press on. Riley now interlocking her mother with her own gaze of geez took you long enough.

“I knew about three weeks after Tommy did. I mean come on we’ve shared everything since I was four, we even have a secret handshake for Christ sake.” Felicity’s tone came out clipped and slightly amused with her next statement.

“Number one watch your language, number two you’re part of your brother’s ultimate plan aren’t you.” That last part was more of a statement of fact than a question. Smiling slightly and glancing in my direction she answered.

“Yup he wants to take dad’s place and I’m to join law enforcement to be his inside man. He works one angle and I work the other much like you two.” I was amazed. My two brilliant children had been planning this for three years and we had never been the wiser. This time I squeezed my wife’s still entangled hand signaling I was finally ready to join the conversation. Looking at Riley with a mixture of awe and frustration I spoke

“Riley I’m aware that talking you my emotional mini me out of this isn’t going to work. This tactic failed with your brother and now I know why. He had a larger plan and you were apart of it. What I need you to understand is why I’ll forever be against both of you taking on this life.”

I paused before going on. This speech was going to be one of the harder one’s that I would have to deliver in my all my life. I continued to grasp onto Felicity’s hand for comfort and for strength. It was her encouragement, belief, and love that had saved me time and time again. She saved my soul and I just hoped that I could save theirs.

“Riley do you remember when we told you about my scars? Do you remember how we explained them to you when you were younger?” My daughter nodded her head slowly and remained quiet.

“Well you’ve seen the physical cost that this life can leave however both you and Tommy have never seen the emotional ones. The scars that don’t show are the deepest ones of all.” I paused to take a deep breath and forced myself to continue. “Since you’re brother has done his homework and I assume so have you; then you know about my past, my time on Lian Yu, Hong Kong, and various other places. You know about my time as the Hood, the Arrow, and now the Green Arrow. You have the facts but you don’t have the history; you don’t know how much was lost and how much I was willing to give up to be those men. You don’t know how many I hurt and destroyed to be those men. You don’t know the cost of being those men.”

My daughter’s eyes were wet from unshed tears but she remained still and firmly in place.

“You’re right I don’t know, so tell me, make me understand, daddy make us understand.” I glanced from her to Felicity who was silently urging me to continue.

“I came back to Starling with a mission, I was going to rid this city of those who meant to do it harm. My path to that was to kill, intimidate and remove any obstacle in my way. I was a lost man without a soul until one day I was given one. Two people saved my soul, John saved my soul my joining my cause, becoming my partner, and then by becoming my brother. Our relationship was tested and broken many times over the years. We remained brothers because I saved him just as much as he did me.” I stopped searching her eyes for a hint of understanding. Sensing this she spoke quietly while smiling

“Daddy keep going I need to hear this.” My voice becoming rawer with emotion started to waver and crack; Felicity’s head leaned against my shoulder with her nose breathing me in. That gesture was enough for me to continue.

“My second savior is sitting right here next to me; your mother saved me with a red pen and a look. She made me smile, really smile for the first time in 5 years. She slowly invaded my heart, my mind and, my soul until she was everything. I almost lost her due to being the Arrow, due to my own emotional scars but she never fully let go. As she’ll tell you her love for me started off slow but once it took hold it never let go.”

I was opening up to this beautiful girl, my girl who like her mother would forever hold a piece of my heart. I was telling her how much it almost cost me to be this man that my city and many others had called a hero. Hoping she was really understanding I went into my last line; my closing remarks if you will.

“Riley my point is that you all have seen my physical scars and we’ve told you the abbreviated version of how they came to be. However my deepest scars, the ugliest of all my wounds are the ones that never healed until all of you. The scars that you can’t see are the ones that I feared would never heal, they’re the ones that made me do, say, and behave in ways that I still to this do can’t fully explain. If you go down this path than one day you’ll have your own scars both physical and emotional and I never wanted for any of you to ever experience the kind of pain that I did.” Her tears had fallen down her face and I was releasing my hold on her mother to reach for her. I sat down beside her and wrapped my arms around her shaking frame. I rubbed my hand up and down her back as she leaned into my arms with her tear stained face making slight wet spots on my collared white shirt. She used her hands to steady herself against my chest as she cried and wept for all the pain and torment she had seen and had yet to see. I could feel Felicity move before I saw her; she had come to sit behind our daughters back and was holding her as well, gentling nuzzling her hair with her nose and whispering soothing words as her hands joined mine in their soothing motions up and down her back. Once she had finally calmed down she pulled slightly out of my arms but not fully. She placed her head above my heart and held each of her hands in one of her own and spoke.

“Daddy, mommy I love you both so much. I’m so glad that you told me about the scars that we have never seen; but daddy the reason we haven’t seen them is because you had begun to heal by the time we were born. Mom and Uncle John they started to heal your soul long before you knew about it. They both loved you and they both believed in you but; what really saved you was you.” I sat there with my head resting against her own, with my arms wrapped around two of the five most important people in my life listening as she spoke. Felicity decided to speak to gain a better understanding of what our daughter meant.

“How did he do that sweetie?” Her response was simple and straight from her heart.

“He saved himself the moment he decided to allow himself to love you. Once he did that the deepest scars the one’s marking his heart finally started to heal. That is what brought him you and then us.” I knew in that moment that one day both of my children were going to be taking up this mission and that it would break my heart once they did. I also knew that they wouldn’t make the same mistakes I made; they’d make their own brand new mistakes. They would do this because as Felicity had always said they’re the best of you and me; and that was always good enough for me.


	9. Daddy's Scars: Jacob

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing in relation to Arrow or it's characters.

 

Daddy’s Scars: Jacob

 

Felicity Queen was right when she told me to fight to live. A statement that I’ve lived by since that very moment especially once I had children; so as usual my then girlfriend who would become was wife was right. Tommy joining the team was done against my wishes but then again so was Laurel joining and that turned out to be a good thing and not a bad. I constantly hope that history repeats itself yet again. Riley has been training with her mother for the past few months learning how to run the computers, how to read maps and building blueprints, how to see all the possible ways a plan can go wrong, how to hack the FBI, really how to be another her. My days are now filled with apprehension due to the fact that now 2 out of my 4 children have now become exactly what I hoped they never would. Jake and Rebecca would be next; they were at the age where our lies and excuses were becoming more and more transparent. So here I sit in my lair with Tommy, Riley, and Felicity holding a family meeting. The subject how to tell the twins about our night jobs; and of course how to perhaps talk them out of joining the fight.

“Dad we really should have the whole team here or at the very least Digg and Grandpa.” Tommy was over on a training mat beating the crap out of one the dummies we’d purchased just for his training purposes. He was getting stronger and more capable with each passing day and that was terrifying. I always thought that he would resemble Felicity once he grew up but as he got older more of my features started to shine with one wonderful exception his eyes, those were purely his mother. He spoke again pulling me out of my inward trance.

“Dad stop imagining how this is going to blow up in your face and at least listen to mom and Ri Ri.” I inwardly sighed and shifted my gaze from where he was training to my wife and daughter who were located in the center of the room.

“Thank you Toms but as you well know I can more than speak for myself. As I was saying maybe you should have Grandpa tell him about the Green Arrow.” I narrowed my eyes and pinned her with the same stare I used when I found out that she had re-wired the firewall on the QI mainframes in order to boast their signal during their eavesdropping sessions over that past three years.

“Why Rils would I ever ask Lance to explain my duel identities to Jake? As you both well know he’s not always been my biggest fan nor supporter. He did hunt me for a year, changed his mind, and then resumed his man hunt the following year. After he married grandma our relationship just got more interesting.”

Felicity sitting next to our daughter and monitoring her various Intel sources for the next mission just sighed and let out her oh so cute and annoying giggle. This giggle meant she might have a point and I was going to lose this fight

. With a light in her eyes she joined the conversation “Love they have a point. He does provide a rather interesting viewpoint to our night job. Also Jake worships the ground he walks on and lately you two haven’t been seeing eye to eye.” I glared at her and sighed; she was right we had been arguing a lot. He was 13 and all my looks plus personality; needless to say we hadn’t had the best relationship as of late.

Still glaring at Felicity but also slightly smiling I pointed my finger right at her as I had years before and said “See what you’ve done. You wanted children, you wanted them to be close to Lance, you allowed them to have minds of their own. This is all your fault.”

She just smiled and flicked her earring back and forth “Yes but I usually am right, after all you’ve been gushing about me for what 20 plus years now?”

Standing up from my chair and walking towards her I placed my hands on either side of her chair effectively boxing her in and leaning down kissed her forehead. I then straightened back up and walked towards Tommy.

“Oh stop pouting Oliver once Jake and Rebecca are in on the secret imagine the fun I’ll have proving you wrong then. After all then I’ll have four children instead of two for backup.” Her smile was wide and bright as her eyes shined with affection and a slight bit of teasing. I just proceeded to walk past my son and to the last training mat and started hitting the crap out of the training dummy. Tommy looked between his mother and me and then back again with a slightly disgusted look appearing on his face.

“Ri Ri it’s time to go I think…yeah they’re definitely flirting and we already see enough of their affection for one another I don’t need to see anymore.” Riley laughed and stood up walking out with brother.

“So now that we’ve cleared the room how about you removing that shirt after all I suspect you secretly paraded around half naked for almost three years just to torture me.” I stopped the bruising pace at which I was hitting the dummy and did as my wife had instructed.

After our impromptu “training” session in the lair nothing else was done much less discussed for the rest of the evening. I was sitting in my office that was joined to Felicity’s at QI going over the memories of last night, thinking about her face, her laugh as I nuzzled my face into her neck, how her mouth curved into that shy little smile when she realized what my intentions were when my phone buzzed. Glancing down I saw that it was Lance calling me back in regards to Jake. One of the results of last night’s “training” was Felicity winning and making me call Lance this morning. I had fought her tooth and nail until she started to kiss the underside of my chin and used her hands to scrap against my scalp; I was needless to say quite easy to sway at that point. Straightening my posture from my more relaxed position I answered the phone.

“Hello Lance, thank you for calling me back.” I hoped my voice wasn’t too strained from attempting to hide my irritation at this situation.

“Geez Oliver I’d gather that this was my daughter’s idea and not yours based on that tone.”

I smiled automatically when Lance referred to Felicity as his daughter. Donna and Quentin had been married since Tommy was born so they had been married for 19 going on 20 years now. They were so delightfully mismatched that they really did bring out the best in each other. Much like two other people I happened to know.

Laughing slightly and relaxing a little bit more I replied “You would guess correctly your daughter once again won the fight and insisted that I call you to ask for this particular favor.

He laughed as well “Yeah I sort of figured that was the case. I have three daughters and each one knows how to get exactly what they want from me so I understand your pain. Now what’s this I hear about you wanting me to tell Jake that you’re the Green Arrow?” I always he got right to the point which I frankly appreciated.

“Yes he and I have been butting heads lately; and since Tommy and Riley are in on the secret we know it won’t be long until the twins join in on the fun.”

His response was quick and concise “Sure I’ll talk to him, after all he’s my grandson and I wouldn’t mind getting to enlighten one of them to your secret identity.” I smiled and proceeded to set it up for this evening, he suggested that instead of having it be an obvious one on one that we make it seem more natural. So the Lance’s were coming over for dinner and a family secret reveal. This should be interesting.

“Felicity they’re your parents not royalty I’m sure pot roast will be just fine.” Felicity once she had been told of the game plan had flipped out; she had spent the last three hours attempting to create an edible family meal. She was still wearing one of her favorite dresses with an apron so that the various food splatters didn’t ruin the delicate material. Her hair was a mess and her glasses were slightly crooked across her face. She looked beautiful as she proceeded to flit about the kitchen with her abundance of nervous energy.

“Oliver are you forgetting who I am? I’m an IT whiz, I’m a co-CEO, I’m a wonderful mother, and a fantastic wife, I’m not however a fabulous cook. Are you forgetting the last meal that I made for the family?” I suddenly did recall the turkey disaster of 2025, than the meatloaf apocalypse of 2030.

Moving towards her and grabbing her shoulders to stop her movements “Felicity stop, breath, and calm down. I’ll just order something from Lucinda’s.” She placed her hands on my arms and started to breathe in and out slowly and steadily.

Looking up at me with eyes now less crazy she replied with a very happy and a very grateful “Yes.” Before she released me she added in one last comment before she winked and exited the room to set the table.

“I really should have made you cook afterall you cook all our other meals.”

Dinner had gone fine everyone was laughing and talking about school, work, new business ventures and of course shoes. I had been sitting next to Lance in the kitchen watching our wife’s and my children all interact.

“You really are one lucky bastard you know that right?”

I looked over at him and nodded “Yes I’m well aware of that fact.” Grabbing his empty coffee cup he stood and walked over to the far end of the kitchen counter and filled the cup.

“So for my conversation with Jake anything you would like for me to avoid? Do you want the highlights version or my version?”

I looked over at me with a scowl and some frustration in my voice I replied “Just tell him the main points and remember he’s still my son who still happens to think highly of me at this point.” Lance walked over and patted my shoulder before he headed out to grab Jake.

Before he was completely out of the kitchen he turned back and smiled slightly “Oliver he is your son and trust me I know from experience nothing I can say or do is ever going to make that kid love you any less. His heart has a permanent space for you and no matter what that door will never fully shut.” I smiled as he walked away.

Grandpa and dad were talking and they weren’t yelling which was odd in and of itself but dad had actually smiled like a real smile and that was unheard of. I had been watching them for the past 10 minutes due to the fact that my mother, grandmother, and sister were all talking about shoes and designer handbags. Tommy had left early to go out on some date with a girl that he met yesterday at a coffee shop. So I couldn’t talk to him so that left either watching dad or talking to Becca.

“Stop staring dad is going to tell you when he’s ready.” I looked over at my other half and glared.

“Becks this is not fair Tommy is going to become dad, Riley is going to become mom and you have seen dad in the damn suit. I on the other hand get to walk around pretending not to know about the lair in the basement. I mean really I’m just as smart as you are!” She just patted my head like I was a fracking dog and smiled.

“Jake they don’t realize that I know. They both assumed since I was three that I hadn’t put two and two together long before Tommy and Riley started the take over the family business gig. I mean I knew about the lair when I was six and then I ran and told you. I mean Tommy still thinks he was the first which I find quite humorous really.” Becks was right of course she and I had been in on the secret a full 6 almost 7 years before his highness was even aware.

“I still don’t like that they are now having family meetings down there and we’re not involved. How does this not bug you? I mean you built a computer when you were six, you have been helping mom re-write software and code for the company since you were 8. Riley is not half as talented with a computer as you are and I’m twice as strong as Tommy on a good day. We should be the ones taking over the crusade not them.”

Becca has always been the calm one, the rational one, the adult one. I was the hothead constantly causing trouble and living up to the notorious Queen name. She just sat there and continued to push her piece of half eaten pie across the plate.

“Jake have you ever considered that one day we’ll be in on the action? You’re right you are better than Tommy in a fight any given day. You have acquired most of dad’s natural ability when it comes to fighting not to mention his temper. I have managed to out hack both mom and Ray on more than one occasion and we’ve both skipped two grades. Our intelligence dear brother is not in contestation here. We’re the babies and we’re only 13. Give it time one day you’ll have your moment in the sun, one day you’ll be there right by Tommy’s side fighting for both justice and truth. They gave you a name with meaning so trust in that and be patient.” Sensing I no longer needed her advice she stood up and took her plate into the kitchen kissing dad’s cheek as she walked by. My sister was right I’d have my chance to shine I just wished it would hurry up and get here already.

“Grandpa why are we out here? Everyone is inside and we’re out here to what look at the stars?” He had brought me out here about 10 minutes ago to chat. Well we’ve said nothing to each other and I’m getting bored so I decided it was time to hash it out, whatever it was.

“You really do like to get to the point don’t you?”

I leaned back into the porch swing and tilted my head to give him my best innocent face before answering “Yeah well look who my parents are it was either few words or way too many. Take your pick.” He laughed a full bodied laugh before he too leaned back against the porch swing. His eyes were older with each passing year, his face was lined and tired, he was getting older and it was starting to show.

“Jake you know about your mom and dad don’t you.” Of course he knew I would know. Grandpa always had a bond with me that no one could quite explain.

“Yeah Becks and I have both known since we were six. We really didn’t understand until about three years ago when dad almost died.”

Now leaning forward on his elbows he clasped his hands together and looked over at me “You’re parents have been trying to figure out how to tell you for days and you already knew. Well that’s just typical.” I hesitated with my next question but knew I had to ask.

“Grandpa why do you hate dad?” It had bothered both Becks and I for quite some time now. So if he was feeling open and honest I figured I would get our answer.

His shock and sadness was evident in his voice. Sighing he started with his long story.

“Jake I did hate your father more than you can possibly know. He betrayed one daughter with another and then she died because she was with him. Then he came back from the dead but my baby girl didn’t. Over that first year I did everything I could not to see the change in him, I focused all my hate and anger on the Hood, then he saved the city and my mind was changed. That next year I almost lost my oldest daughter, but gained my youngest one back; all while learning to trust the Arrow with my life and my family. When I found out that Laurel had lied about Sara’s death I fell apart and lost my way. I once again used my anger and pain to hunt down the Arrow. I had him and what made it perfect was that it just happened to be your dad the man I had hated for so long. Once Roy took his place and the lair was destroyed I thought this was all over and that I could just let it go. I was drinking again and starting to ruin my life. Laurel and I weren’t speaking and the city was falling apart. Then if by magic your father showed up and was once again attempting to save this city, my city. It took a lot of time for me to accept all the new changes to the vigilante line up but I eventually did. Your grandmother was a big part of that change. She helped me mend my relationship with Laurel, she helped me form a new relationship with Sara and she helped me gain a daughter with Felicity.”

He looked over to see if I was still listening and I just winked and lightly punched his shoulder urging him to finish.

“Buddy I don’t hate your dad, I actually over the years have grown to like him, respect him, and yes I even love him. He’s married to my youngest daughter and he’s the father of my four grandchildren. He is a part of my now very expanded family and for that I will always be grateful.” He leaned back signaling that he was done and looked back up to the stars.

“So do you think I should let them off the hook?” He glanced over and winked before smiling “Let him sweat it for a little while longer. You have plenty of time to be a hero, for now why not just be a kid.” I smiled and looked up staring at the stars.

It was hours later and I was in my room getting ready for bed when I heard the knock on my door.

“It’s open” I yelled from my bathroom. I could hear my dad’s footsteps as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. When I walked out he was sitting at the foot of bed with his hands in his lap waiting. I turned off the light and walked over to sit beside him.

“What’s up dad?”

He looked over and looked anxious “So you’re conversation with grandpa went well?”

I smirked and nodded “Yeah dad it went fine why?”

Rubbing his hands over his head he let out a long breath “You already knew didn’t you.” This was a statement and not a question. I just laughed and slapped him on the back.

“Gee ya think. Becks and I have known since we were like 6. I mean dad come on she saw you in the suit when she was 3.” He groaned and let his head fall.

“I knew that she knew but I was somehow hoping that you your mother’s little snitch would have outed them years ago.” I just laughed and nudged his shoulder with mine.

“Dad really I only do that when I’m angling for something from mom. Otherwise I keep their secrets and they don’t know about mine. Face it dad Becks and I are the smartest of the 4.”

He smiled and started to stand “So you have no questions at all I take it since you’ve had this all figured out already.” I thought for a moment or two before responding.

“Thanks for letting grandpa talk to me about this. See I already knew how Tommy found out, I knew about Riley and of course Becks. I also knew about the personal stories that you shared with Tommy and Riley about your scars. But since you let grandpa out you he let me in on a secret scar that maybe not even mom knows about.” I folded my arms across my chest and with my eyes encouraged him to continue.

“You lost your dad, you lost your mom, you lost two huge influences in your life to horrific ends. Grandma and Grandpa have filled that void. You were wounded by how you lost your parent’s and by coming home, being a better man, and marrying mom you got them back. So thanks. We got them because you did.”

Felicity was finishing her phone call when I walked in to our bedroom.

“Yes mom… yes I’ll let him know…alright… mom look I have to go I’ve got a meeting in the morning…ok yes I’ll tell Oliver…I know I had fun too…I love you too goodnight mom.” She placed the phone on her bedside table and looked towards me with a questioning look in her eyes

. “So how did it go? Did he have questions?” Walking to my side of the bed I removed my shoes then my shirt and went to sit on the bed with my back resting against the headboard. I looked towards her and opened my arms so that she would curl up within them. Taking my hint she smiled and proceeded to climb into my arms wrapping her own around my waist and resting her head against my chest. Once she was settled and I had my arms comfortably wrapped around her small frame I answered her questions.

“It went well actually. He already knew as we both had guessed. He did make one interesting observation however.” Glancing down to see if I had peaked her curiosity; and noticing her eyebrows were now raised with her face directly pointed at mine I continued on.

“He observed another one of my many scars.” Her face scrunched up even further in confusion.

“What other scars? We’ve covered the physical and, all the emotional ones what other ones are there?” I sighed heavily before answering.

“He noted the scar I received when I lost both my parents to rather tragic ends.” This time she sighed heavily and lightly kissed my chest before opting to respond.

“Oh that one; well I guess that makes sense. I mean your father… well we all know what happened there and we also know how I could babble my way through that last thought.” I just smiled slightly and kissed her head as she continued.

“You’re mother was killed also in front of you by Slade; so yes I could see how that would leave a few lasting marks.”

With my face still hovering above her head and my exhaled breaths now slightly moving the golden strands I voiced my own thoughts on the subject matter.

“He’s right though. I have parents again I just didn’t think that your mother and Quentin Lance of all people would be them. I mean your mother… is your mother.” This received an all knowing nod against my chest and a slight chuckle.

“Lance well my history with that man is long and drawn out. I mean I dated one daughter and then cheated on her with the other. Than to make matters worse I took said daughter with me in secret on the Gambit. Add in the Hood, the Arrow, the Green Arrow and then you; and well you really have one truly troubling history.” This received a full bodied laugh as her entire body shook with the sheer force of her obvious humor and delight at the last statement. She went on for about five minutes just laughing and holding me even tighter to her body. I too got caught up in her sheer exuberance and started laughing as well. I laughed until I cried and so did she.

Finally returning to our previous conversation after our mutual good humor and utter amusement had died down she asked her final question.

“So Tommy is going to be the next you, Riley is going to me, and I assume Jake will take over Digg’s position but at Tommy’s side. So did you find out if it was Rebecca who clued him in?” I as usual my wife had hit the nail on the head. With her head still resting on my chest, and our arms and now legs entwined with each other I took a deep breath and answered.

“She clued him in yes but she didn’t tell him the whole story. He knows about her first encounter when she was three, but she didn’t tell him the whole story, she didn’t tell him her story.” Her voice came out slightly troubled this time.

“Do you think we should tell them the truth about how Rebecca knows?” I sighed and once again began to bury my face in her hair.

“How would we explain it? How would we explain that the only reason I was in the building when the bomb went off three years ago was because Rebecca and you were in the building? How do I tell them that she knew before all of them because she was with you when you were taken.” As if sensing what was really bothering me she nuzzled further into my chest her voice strong and sure.

“Oliver it wasn’t your fault, that one was all on me. I knew they were tracking me and I lost my focus, if not for you then god only knows what would have happened.” I knew intellectually that she was right but emotionally that scar was still a gaping wound. She continued her thought sensing she might still be losing me to my inner brood.

“Maybe we should have her tell them after all it’s her story; it’s the moment when she truly figured out who the man in the Green hood was.” I nodded in agreement knowing that over the next few days the secret the three of us had been keeping was going be revealed. I was not looking forward to that day.


End file.
